Craig Fleming, a former Norwich City defender, has left Derby County’s academy to become Ralph Hasenhuttl’s assistant at Wolfsburg.
The German club confirmed Fleming’s appointment in a statement, noting that he will join Hasenhuttl, who previously managed Southampton and will now have his son Patrick on his coaching team as well.
Fleming’s relationship with Hasenhuttl goes back to their time at Southampton, where Hasenhuttl promoted him from the under-18s setup to the first-team coaching staff. Together, they worked for three years before moving to Wolfsburg to improve the team’s performance, as they are currently positioned fifth from the bottom in the Bundesliga table.
At Derby, Fleming held the role of Head of Academy Technical Development since last August, where his task was to develop a playing philosophy to prepare young players for the first team and nurture future talents.
Speaking at a fans’ forum, Derby’s academy manager Matt Hale acknowledged Fleming’s contributions but mentioned that it was inevitable to lose him once Wolfsburg showed interest due to their connection with Hasenhuttl.
Wolfsburg also confirmed Fleming’s addition to the coaching team, highlighting his past experience with Hasenhuttl at Southampton and his extensive playing career in English professional football. Patrick Hasenhuttl, who had to retire from playing due to health reasons, will also join the coaching staff at Wolfsburg.
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