Southampton bring in Matt Crocker as director of football operations
Crocker returns to Premier League club as replacement for Ross Wilson
Tuesday 26 November 2019 17:50, UK
Southampton have appointed Matt Crocker as their new director of football operations.
Crocker, who served as Southampton's academy boss between 2006 and 2013, has been working with England manager Gareth Southgate in implementing a coaching philosophy for the national youth teams, in his role as the FA's head of development team coaching.
He will take charge in early 2020 and will succeed Ross Wilson, who left to join Scottish Premiership club Rangers as sporting director.
"The Southampton way is at the very core of everything we do here at the club, with a strong focus on our player pathway into the first team," Saints chief executive Martin Semmens said.
"For our club to be successful going into the next decade, within an increasingly competitive Premier League, we must seek to strengthen our pathway and further develop every detail of our football operation.
"Matt was the outstanding candidate in Europe for this role, head and shoulders above anyone else, as he brings deep experience and knowledge to the club, but also a history with the Southampton way."
Crocker's new role at the club will see him "oversee the development of every aspect of its football operations, and develop every department that supports all of the club's teams".
It is said to be more similar to Les Reed's previous job at St Mary's, and the one Reed now performs as technical director of the FA.
Reed left Southampton to replace Dan Ashworth, who joined Brighton. Crocker worked closely with Ashworth and is said to have helped develop the new England 'DNA' under Gareth Southgate.
Southampton remain on the hunt for another appointment to concentrate on player recruitment, perhaps under the title of head of recruitment, previously held by Wilson and his predecessor Paul Mitchell.
Chief scout Martyn Glover is currently fulfilling the role on a temporary basis ahead of the January transfer window.
Both Crocker and the next head of recruitment face a difficult task to rebuild Saints into a formidable Premier League side, after another struggling start to the season for manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.
They are second-bottom after 13 games, with just two victories to their name, having done limited business in the summer transfer window after only narrowly avoiding relegation last season.
