SAINTS have confirmed the appointment of Manchester City’s academy director Jason Wilcox as their new director of football.

Wilcox joins from the Etihad Stadium, where he has worked since 2012, initially in a number of coaching roles before taking on the role of City’s academy director in 2017.

The 51-year-old will join the club in the summer once he has served his notice period with City, and will report to Saints CEO Martin Semmens.

Wilcox will be responsible for all football departments, including the men’s first team, academy and the women’s and girls’ programme. Another part of his remit will be player recruitment, an area that will be temporarily overseen by club director Rasmus Ankersen until Jason’s arrival.

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On his appointment, Henrik Kraft, chairman of Saints, said: “We are so pleased to announce Jason as the new Director of Football at Southampton.

“His strong track record, not only as a player but also as a senior football executive makes him the ideal candidate to lead our football department going forwards.

“Jason was someone who stood out from the start of our search. He is the perfect fit for Southampton, someone who is hardworking, diligent and passionate about improving himself and those around him.”

Kraft added: “At City, he has helped develop some fantastic young players and delivered a pathway for them to be able to comfortably adapt into a competitive first team environment.

 “We are convinced that Jason will continue the great work he has achieved at Man City here at Southampton and look forward to him joining us in the summer.”

 A former Premier League winner with Blackburn in 1995, Wilcox has gained an outstanding reputation in the game for delivering one of the most successful development programmes in world football, recruiting and developing some of the best young talent in the Premier League and abroad.

Wilcox replaces the departing Matt Crocker, who is in his second spell working with Saints after success in the academy setup saw the likes of Gareth Bale, Luke Shaw and James Ward-Prowse emerge.

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