Manchester United Official appoints as chief football officer of England FA

Former Manchester United sports director Dan Ashworth has re-emerged at the Football Association (FA) after he was hired as chief football officer following his unsuccessful stay at Old Trafford.

The 54-year-old worked as the governing body’s director of elite development and afterwards as technical director between 2013-2019 before becoming a hire for Brighton and Newcastle before he was at Old Trafford for a five-month duration before he left in December.

His United appointment was regarded as a big coup in a series of radical changes to the Red Devils’ sporting setup under minority owner Jim Ratcliffe.

Also Read:

• Top five footballers to play for both Manchester United and Manchester City
• Top 10 : Premier League’s all-time top scorers
• Top 10 clubs with most UEFA Champions League titles in history

Ashworth had been tipped to lead an overhaul of United’s underperforming team, along with manager Ruben Amorim, who was appointed in November, but departed the club the next month.

Following the exit of Ashworth from United, Ratcliffe labeled both his July 2024 appointment and the holding on to then boss Erik ten Hag as “errors”.

Ashworth will become responsible for the England men’s and women’s teams in his newly appointed role.

The FA chief executive, Mark Bullingham, added, “Dan is an incredibly powerful and well-respected figure within the game, who has a long-held dedication to England Football.”.

“We are very happy to welcome him back in this new role.”

Ashworth had earlier been given credit for creating a system at the FA which assisted in reviving England’s men’s team fortunes.