Calgary Foothills Soccer Club is delighted to welcome Darren Bowman as our new Development Phase Manager (U13–U17).

Darren joins Foothills with more than 20 years of coaching and technical leadership experience across elite football environments in Europe and Asia. Most notably, he spent 9 years with Manchester City FC, where he served as Lead Development Phase Coach and played an instrumental role in developing players such as Phil Foden, Jadon Sancho, Cole Palmer, Brahim Díaz, and Jeremie Frimpong.

Following his time in Manchester, Darren held senior leadership roles with Xi Guoan FC in China and Lee Man FC in Hong Kong, helping guide the latter to its first-ever Hong Kong Premier League title and qualification for the AFC Champions League.

A UEFA A Licensed Coach (UEFA Pro Licence pending 2026), Darren is known for his holistic approach to player and coach development, building high-performance environments grounded in professionalism, care, and consistency. “I’m thrilled to be joining a club like Foothills SC, which has such a proud tradition of developing players and people over so many years,” said Darren. “I’m excited to add to that tradition and help the club continue its journey to change the landscape of Canadian soccer.”

Foothills Technical Director, Greg de Carnys, is excited about what Darren brings to the Club and its members. Greg said, “It’s great to be adding someone with Darren’s experience and expertise to the team. At Foothills, we have a history of bringing top staff in from around the world so that we can bring a world-class program to the city of Calgary, and Darren fits excellently with that tradition.”

For Darren, the move to Calgary represents both a professional challenge and a personal adventure. “It’s a real honour to join an organisation with the tradition and reputation that Foothills has built over the years. Being able to share my experience, network, and knowledge with the next generation of players, skilled staff, and the wider Foothills community fills me with excitement. From a personal perspective, my family and I are looking forward to embracing life in Calgary. It’s such a welcoming city that will provide a beautiful home. We can’t wait to explore the incredible natural surroundings. ”

In his new role, Darren will focus on player participation, pathways, and performance, building on Foothills’ strong foundations to deliver an age-specific, experience-driven program for aspiring young players. “Training will drive the development and matches will provide the experiences,” he explained. “Our goal is to create a memorable journey during the development phase that fosters loyalty to the club and lifelong passion for the game.”

As he begins this new chapter, Darren’s message to the Foothills community is simple:

“By working together, anything is possible, and the impossible is nothing. I’m excited to get to know the Foothills family and can’t wait to get started.”