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Manchester United is still making adjustments behind the scenes, and there is speculation that Jason Wilcox, who currently holds the position of director of football at Southampton, may be the next person to join the team.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is set to complete his minority investement into the club and has already taken control of footballing affairs, with Omar Berrada joining as chief executive at the end of the season.
Berrada has joined from Manchester City, where he held the position of chief football operations officer. It is also expected that Newcastle’s sporting director, Dan Ashworth, will join the club at Old Trafford.
Wilcox and Berrada were colleagues at Manchester City and may have the opportunity to work together again.
The 52-year-old, who was born in Bolton, had a successful career as a player. He earned three caps for England and was a key member of the Blackburn team that won the Premier League in the 1994/95 season.
In 2006, the ex-winger ended his time as a player and then became an academy coach for Manchester City after six years.
While serving as the head coach of the men’s Under 18s team, Wilcox led the club to win a national championship and make two appearances in the FA Youth Cup final. His contributions helped establish the club as one of the most reputable youth programs in England. In October 2017, he was officially appointed as the academy director after previously serving in an interim capacity since June.
For over ten years, Jason Wilcox was a part of Manchester City.
In January of last year, Wilcox’s time in Manchester came to an end as he was recruited by Southampton to serve as their new director of football.
In the summer, he assumed the role after completing his notice period. He oversaw the football department and also managed player recruitment for the Championship team.
Wilcox, a judo expert with a black belt, discussed the importance of “alignment” in creating a thriving football team upon accepting the position at St Mary’s.
In an interview with Southampton’s club website, the director of football stated that his intention was not to bring Manchester City down south. He clarified that this was not his objective and he had no plans to do so.
My role is to ensure that there is consistency in the playing style between the first team manager and the academy teams. This allows for a smooth transition and creates a clear pathway for younger players. My main objective is to establish this alignment. When there is a lack of alignment and inconsistency in the work, it takes longer to achieve success and results are often reactive.
For the past 12 years, I have been involved in a comprehensive alignment across all levels, from the board to the director of football, the first team manager, and the academy director.
“When you align your thinking and comprehend the players’ profiles, you gain a deeper understanding of the game on the field. This enables you to develop and improve, even in defeat, as you can pinpoint areas for improvement. Similarly, in victory, you can identify your strengths and have concrete benchmarks. This is an approach I aim to incorporate.”
Source: independent.co.uk
