Premier League title winner produced by Sunderland back at Academy of Light in coaching role
Sunderland academy graduate Jonny Maddison is now guiding the club’s young goalkeepers after returning as a coach
Jonny Maddison’s journey back to Wearside has taken him through Premier League dressing rooms, the EFL, non-league football and even a spell working outside the game. Today, at 31, he is back where it all began, coaching the next generation of goalkeepers at the Academy of Light.
Maddison grew up in Sunderland’s youth system, joining the academy as a nine-year-old and progressing through the age groups before leaving in 2013. His career took him to Crawley Town and then Leicester City, where he was part of the Foxes’ historic 2015-16 Premier League title-winning squad. First-team opportunities followed at Yeovil Town, Darlington and Port Vale before coaching roles at Middlesbrough and, eventually, a return to Sunderland.
Speaking to the club’s channels, Maddison recently reflected on his role and his return to Wearside as Academy Goalkeeper Coach, working across the club’s age groups from the senior pathway down to the foundation phase. He describes his day-to-day work as structured but varied: "A normal day, I’d arrive around 8:30 for breakfast with some of the staff and players.”
The former Darlington man continues: “Afterwards, we have a 9am PDP team meeting to discuss training needs, alongside some session planning for the day. Shortly after, I’m in the gym for a 15-minute chat on the bike with Pruds (Mark Prudhoe) and all the GKs before heading into our A.M session with the PDP GKs."
The afternoons are typically dedicated to analysis and individual development. Maddison adds: "After lunch, there are opportunities for post-match analysis sessions with either the PDP and/or day-release GKs to debrief the weekend’s fixtures. We are then back on the grass for an afternoon session, this time working mainly on the ILPs of the GK’s specific needs. Evenings consist of training with the FP and YDP GKs (U9s-U16s) before I set off home."
The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.
For Maddison, the most rewarding part of the job is watching players develop on and off the pitch. He added on his role at Sunderland: "I love being out on the pitch with all the players and watching them develop and grow not only as players, but as people. The social elements between players and staff are also great."
His return to the club came 11 years after completing a decade-long spell as a player in the academy. Now his focus is on helping others follow a similar pathway. The now former goalkeeper added: "My goal, like many other staff at Sunderland, would be to provide the best opportunity for as many players to progress through the system at Sunderland to achieve their aspirations to be professional footballers."