Cutler joins as head of goalkeeping

The 46-year-old, who replaces the outgoing Tony Roberts, brings a wealth of experience to the role and joins on the back of four years on the coaching staff at Aston Villa.

Having moved to Villa Park in 2018, Cutler remained across the West Midlands until Unai Emery’s arrival last October, working closely with a number of goalkeepers, including World Cup winner and former Old Gold loanee Emi Martinez.

Cutler has gained a reputation for developing young goalkeepers, as well as his work at first-team level, and brings to Molineux more than ten years of coaching experience, having started during the final years of his playing career.

Once a stopper for the likes of Stoke City and Rotherham United, Cutler is familiar with the West Midlands, having been born in Perton and coached at Walsall and West Bromwich Albion, prior to his time at Villa.

Now he’ll head a goalkeeping department full of familiar faces. While briefly coaching at Wolves earlier in his career, Cutler trained a young Jon Flatt, before the duo worked together later at Villa. He also spent time with Phil Smart at West Brom and played against Scott Bevan during his career. Now, all four form the goalkeeping department at Compton Park.

Sporting director Matt Hobbs said: “Neil’s somebody we know well. What was interesting was the amount of people I had recommending him, even other candidates for the role praised him, so for them to be so positive shows you the level of coach we’ve managed to bring in.

“He’s a big personality, with massive attention to detail – a real training ground coach who drives standards and brings positive energy to the place. We couldn’t replace Tony like for like, but there are certain qualities we looked for which Neil has.

“Neil’s developed senior goalkeepers at all the clubs he’s been at, but also brought young ones through, and with the investment we’ve put into the goalkeeping department, that was important to us.”

Since Roberts’ departure, under-21 goalkeeper coach Scott Bevan has been working with the first-team group, and head coach Lopetegui has praised Bevan’s impact, while doing his due diligence on new arrival Cutler

Hobbs said: “Julen was very impressed with Scott, and how he worked with the team, and he’s somebody we’re going to continue to develop.

“He also had good recommendations about Neil. Being a goalkeeper himself, it was important for him and his staff that they researched Neil themselves, and they were very happy he’s joining the team.”