Former Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth is set to make a return to the English Football Association.
The 54-year-old left the organisation in 2019 to join Brighton and Hove Albion having worked as the FA’s director of elite development and later technical director, where he helped develop the men’s and women’s national teams. The men’s technical director at the FA is now John McDermott.
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Ashworth’s return in a wide-ranging strategic role is expected to be confirmed this week.
He has been without a role since leaving his position at Old Trafford on December 8, just five months after being hired. He had only started as director of football on July 1 2024 having been placed on gardening leave as part of his departure from Newcastle United.
In his short time at United, Ashworth’s remit was partly to help reshape the club, being placed in overall charge of football performance, recruitment and operations. There were, however, tensions with co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose company INEOS became minority owners of the club in early 2024. Ratcliffe was pivotal in the decision for United and Ashworth to part ways in December. A statement from the club stated Ashworth’s exit was mutual.
United’s latest financial results earlier this year revealed his arrival and departure from Old Trafford cost the club £4.1million.
The move to the FA will see Ashworth return to the organisation where he spent over six years. He was credited with playing an influential role in England’s World Cup victories at under-17 and under-20 level in 2017.
Ashworth left in 2019 to become Brighton’s technical director, a position he held until February 2022 when he resigned to join Newcastle as sporting director.
(Top photo: Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images)
This news was originally published on this post .
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