Due to the continued expansion of the club`s academy it has been decided that academy director Danny Laws and head of education Dave Cannon will be concentrating their efforts to further enhance this key part of the club.

This means they will no longer be working directly with Mark Morsley and the first team. However, the relationship between the academy and the first team remains paramount in the continued success of the club.

Laws and Cannon stepped into the first team set up this time last year. Their personalities and coaching abilities made an immediate positive impression.

Their respective contributions have been invaluable over the last twelve months. However, the advent of Covid (and its continued impact), together with the accompanying economic downturn has led to the decision by the club that their prime focus needs to be the success of the academy which remains the cornerstone of AFC Sudbury.

This does, however, mean that the club have needed to replace them and have announced that in addition to Liam Aves switching from the reserve team, Tony Kinsella joins as first-team head coach.

Morsley told https://www.afcsudbury.co.uk: “Although the sideways move of Danny and Dave was the right move for the academy it has left a huge hole in my management team. I have been hugely impressed by Liam since he joined the club last season and it was my first move to part fill the void to bring him into my team.

“In addition, there was a need for a top head coach and Tony is right up there with the best. It is widely accepted that he has been a very influential part of many successful teams due to the high level of football coaching he produces. He also knows the non-league scene and I was really pleased he’s decided to agree a two-year deal with our club.

“Due to high levels of work and teaching commitments coach Gavin Peters and goalkeeper coach Kevin Holland will sadly be leaving the club this week and my thanks go to both of these great guys who will be sorely missed. As of course will Danny and Dave.”

After a long playing career with the likes of Millwall, Ipswich Town, Doncaster Rovers and several non-League sides, including Braintree Town and Chelmsford City, Kinsella (pictured) has managed Halstead Town and been assistant manager at Leiston and Braintree.

Meanwhile, on the field, attacking wide player Emmanuel Machaya has joined Sudbury from Isthmian League Premier Division side Brightlingsea Regent.

Machaya joined Regent in February 2020 from Sudbury`s league rivals Bury Town where he scored 7 goals from 19 appearances.

He is an exciting winger who can make things happen with the ability to change the game in an instant. In 2018/19, he scored 38 goals in 38 games for Bury and Thurlow Nunn Leaguers Long Melford and also made 6 appearances during the same season while on dual registration with another Thurlow Nunn League side, Hadleigh United.