Ashworth joins FA as England’s director of elite development
WEST Bromwich Albion’s Dan Ashworth is to leave his role as the club’s sporting and technical director to become the Football Association’s director of elite development in the summer.
The FA had earlier advertised for a technical director and had hoped to appoint former England defender Gareth Southgate to the role but as a consequence of his decision to concentrate on a career within the media, the national game’s governing body chose to recruit for a different role which Ashworth is to in the summer undertake.
Upon leaving West Brom, Ashworth will work alongside director of football development Sir Trevor Brooking at the new national football centre at St George’s Park in developing the country’s elite players, though not specifically the senior or under-21 teams.
FA general secretary Alex Horne said: “Dan is hugely respected within the game and we believe his services will give the future of English football, from grassroots to the elite level, a tremendous boost.”