Andy Welsh has been named new Academy boss at Manchester City.

Welsh succeeds the successful Jim Cassell, who has left his City job to head the club's international youth development project.

"This is a great opportunity for me and I have a lot to live up to at a club that is clearly going places," Welsh, who ran the Leeds Academy that produced Scott Carson, Aaron Lennon and James Milner, told City's website.

"The first thing I would like to do is pay tribute to the extraordinary work done by Jim - who appointed me back in 2008 - and his coaches during the past decade or so.

"They built an Academy that is the envy of most of football from virtually nothing and the fact that so many players have come through the system and played for City's first team at Premier League level is a wonderful tribute to their skill and professionalism.

"There are extremely big boots to fill here at Platt Lane and I am thankful that Jim will still be on hand so that I can tap into his expertise. There is a fantastic base from which to build and I am excited by the challenge that lies ahead."