Former Mamelodi Sundowns academy chief Shawn Bishop has completed a move to Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League.
Bishop, who boasts a Masters degree in High Performance from the University of Lisbon, spent over a decade at the helm of the Sundowns youth setup.
His departure from the DStv Premiership champions was confirmed in July 2023, ending his 12-year stay at the club.
With Masandawana, Bishop performed many duties in the whole set-up. Firstly, he oversaw the Elite Players Programme and Women’s Programme as the Head of the Technical Programme.
He also had a stint with the reserve team in the DStv Diski Challenge, where he served as an assistant coach. In the 2017/18 DStv Premiership, Bishop was part of the Sundowns technical team that won the league title.
He left his post as the Head of Methodology and Academy to embark on a new challenge in Portugal, where he continued his journey in the world of football.
In addition, Bishop also served as the SA national team’s Under-17 and Under-20 assistant coach and performance analyst.
SHAWN BISHOP APPOINTED HEAD OF METHODOLOGY AT AL ETTIFAQ
After a year in Portugal, Bishop is heading to the Middle East. He has joined Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq ahead of the new season, and he will serve as the Head of Methodology. The 2024/25 Saudi Pro League campaign will begin on Thursday, 22 August.
Bishop took it to social media on Thursday to announce his new appointment in Saudi Arabia, where he will work with Liverpool FC and England legend Gerrard.
“Pleased to announce, I have joined one of the biggest clubs in the AFC region, Al Ettifaq, as Head of Methodology,” Bishop posted on X.
“Thank you to all the people involved, especially to Ahmadhanfoosh for putting his trust in me.”
Al Ettifaq has some of the top football stars who are well-known. These include former Liverpool FC midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, England international Demarai Gray, French forward Moussa Dembélé, and Cameroon centre-forward Toko Ekambi.
RELATED STORY: Sundowns official confirms imminent departure
