Barney Blake has joined the club, where he will be performing performance analysis duties for the Division 1 men’s team, in addition to becoming a member of the junior girls’ coaching programme.

Barney has previously worked with Great Britain & England national teams as a performance analyst and spent the previous season coaching with Myerscough College’s women’s programme.

He recently led the North West Under 13 Girls to second at the Regional Development Tournament in Manchester.

“Barney will bring a skill set to the club that will make a positive impact on the performance analysis side,” said club chief executive Phil Gordos.

“His coaching knowledge will also be a key factor in moving the club forward.”

Mystics U18 head coach Mbongeni Greg Mpofu said: “Adding Barney to our coaching team with the girls’ programme is another step forward in what we’re trying to build. He fits in with the ethos of the club, and we’re all happy to have him on board.”