The Wellington Phoenix have reluctantly accepted Lee Padmore’s resignation as the club’s academy director.
Padmore has decided he can’t continue in the role next year as he needs to spend more time with his family in Christchurch.
While he has only been academy director since early February, Padmore has led the eight age-group teams and staff at Fraser Park through a great deal of change and has been instrumental in putting together the talent development partnership between the Phoenix and New Zealand Football.
Phoenix director of football Shaun Gill has mixed feelings about Padmore’s impending departure.
“I didn’t want to accept Lee’s resignation if I’m honest,” Gill said. “He’s been a great leader for the academy and has created an amazing environment at Fraser Park.
“He’s an incredible people person and is loved by the staff who work across all eight of our academy teams.
“But as a husband and dad myself I know how difficult it has been for Lee to be away from his wife Nicole and son Louie in Christchurch.
“I wish him all the best for the future and hope he can still be involved with the club in some capacity.”
Lee Padmore says it was a really tough decision to tender his resignation, but one he had to make.
“I am really sad to be leaving,” Padmore said. “I’m leaving one of the top football jobs in the country, but ultimately family is the single most important thing to me.
“It is very much a family decision not a professional decision and I won’t regret it because of that.
“I’m really looking forward to having back those days and evenings at home with Nicole and Louie.”
Padmore has thanked all of the staff, players and parents he’s worked with at the Phoenix.
“The people here are unbelievable. Being back at the club for the second time you see the distance it’s come and the people that have been attracted to the Phoenix shows you the club is a great place to be.
“I’ll miss them for sure. There are some top people at the football club.”
And he too hopes to stay involved with the Phoenix in some capacity.
“I believe in the project. That’s the reason I took the job initially because I genuinely believed in the project, and I still do.
“You see the likes of Jayden Smith, Nathan Walker, Ela Jerez and Brooke Neary graduating to the first team, and you see there’s something special about the football club developing its own talent while trying to win the A-League and helping New Zealand win on the world stage.
“I want to be a part of that. It’s just not the right time for me to be in Wellington and central to that.”
The Wellington Phoenix are now turning their attentions to finding Lee Padmore’s replacement and hope to make an appointment ahead of the 2025 academy season.
Main image: Ryan Imray/Imray’s Snaps
