Thursday 27 September 2018 16:34, UK
Brighton chief executive Paul Barber believes Dan Ashworth will take them to the next level after he was confirmed as the Premier League club's new technical director.
Ashworth will end his six-year spell with the FA in January, and join Brighton in the spring, where he will oversee the academy, medical department and player recruitment at all levels.
England reached the World Cup semi-finals during Ashworth's time at the FA, which prompted interest from Manchester United and Chelsea this summer.
Barber told Sky Sports News: "Dan Ashworth is one of the most sought-after technical directors in world football, his reputation has grown enormously over the last few years. We are delighted to have him.
"We are lucky to have an owner who is committed to the club and Dan is really looking forward to the stability that the club can provide and take us to the next level."
After several months of searching, Ashworth becomes Brighton's first-ever technical director and will be responsible for all first team and junior-level duties.
Ashworth implemented an 'England DNA' philosophy which promised that all age group teams would work in unison at St George's Park, and Barber hopes the former West Brom technical director will continue with his forward-thinking ideas at Brighton.
Barber added: "We want our academy to be as productive as possible when producing young English talent. Dan has got a great track record not just with the FA but also with West Brom in the Premier League.
"To ensure that we would continue to play in the top flight, we felt we needed some more senior football experience in our management team. We started the search process eight or nine months ago and Dan was already high on our list. We are delighted that Dan has agreed to join us."
