“Soccer brought me to Atlanta. I moved here when I was 20 years old. This is my city now, I feel like this is my home. I’ve lived here longer than I lived in England.”
Tony Annan arrived in the United States 22 years ago with an unrelenting passion for soccer, initially having his heart set on playing but soon finding a true desire to teach the game. His coaching career took off in Atlanta’s soccer community as he discovered a true niche in youth development.
All his hard work on and off the field came to fruition when Atlanta United’s President Darren Eales and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra approached Annan and asked if he wanted to help spearhead the MLS expansion club’s Academy.
“100% said yes straight away. It’s been my goal. It’s been my dream. For it to happen in my city, where I believe I should be - the stars aligned for me. The fact that they were interested in me and I wanted to be in MLS. It was a no-brainer.”
Annan was originally hired as the Academy’s manager, but after the director left to pursue another opportunity, the club appointed Annan to step into the position and lead the club’s future stars.
It’s been one thrill of a ride over this past year for the Englishmen, from commencing the club’s youth Academy to experiencing the start of the first team’s inaugural season.
“The most memorable moment to me was standing up in the press box of the first game against New York Red Bulls and seeing 55,000 people standing, singing, filling the atmosphere. It sent a chill down my back and brought a tear to my eye. It was unbelievable. I was so happy.”
After the match on March 5th, Annan’s inbox flooded with kids craving to be a part of the Atlanta United Academy system. The match not only intrigued a new wave of potential prospects, but surged a buzz amongst the club’s current players.
Building the bond between the Academy and the first team is highly valued as one of the cornerstones of the MLS expansion club
“We use the first team players all the time as inspiration. We incorporate a lot of the first team exercises now to try and get the teams playing the same way the exciting brand.”
The Academy and the first team together share the recently unveiled Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground facility in Marietta, GA which Annan says is playing a crucial role in the development of the players both on and off the pitch.
“You can’t keep the smile off my face. It’s amazing. What more do you want as a coach to give your players.”
Training, eating, learning alongside the likes of Miguel Almirón, Carlos Carmona, Michael Parkhurst other first teamers is not a common experience for young aspiring players and it’s one that Atlanta hopes to stake into the club’s foundation forever.
“You can’t buy that feeling, and you can’t buy that experience for the players. It’s huge.”
It’s one piece that will be essential to the bigger picture and the club’s vision for the future.
“We want to be the best. We want to produce as many homegrown players as we can. We want to be considered one of the best in the world. We want people to aspire to do what we do.”
While Annan and Atlanta United strive to set the bar high and reach those expectations, none of it emanates at the flip of a switch. What is required is much more than solely effort and passion.
“I told a lot of people I thought I was doing the right things I thought I was doing it well, I thought I’d been quite successful but until you step into this arena, the level of detail and professionalism you must have and what goes into it, you just can’t comprehend it until you get in here.”
For Annan, Atlanta United has made an invaluable impact on his life, one that runs much deeper than an occupation. It’s challenged him in ways he’s never endured but the pure support and excitement surrounding the club in Atlanta is more of a reward than he could ever ask for.
“It’s my city, and I’ve been waiting for this to happen for so long. The fact that it’s here and everybody in the city seems to have bought into it and are excited about it, I can’t really put a word to how much it means to me.”
“It’s incomprehensible some days that it’s actually here, it’s happening and I’m involved in it. I just smile every day when I walk in here.”
© 2026 Atlanta United FC
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