JIM Furnell is to leave Ewood Park after more than 16 years with Blackburn Rovers, first as reserve team boss then with the youth set-up.

The former goalkeeper, who turned 60 in November, is negotiating an early retirement package with the club. Furnell joined Rovers in 1981, when he came from Plymouth with new boss Bob Saxton to take charge of the reserves.

But he really made his mark when he took over youth development, top players coming through such as Jason Wilcox, David May and Simon Barker - to name just three. He has been an outstanding servant to the club.

The Ewood youth set-up was completely revamped last summer when Rovers made it a separate entity and brought in Bobby Downes to head it, along with coach Rob Kelly. Downes is now ringing the changes, after reviewing the structure for six months, and Chris Sulley, as well as long-serving part-time coach David Hall, left earlier this week. Youth development is taking on an increasing importance, especially among Premier League clubs who are investing massive amounts, and Rovers recently expanded their own scheme to take in youngsters from the age of six.

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