Former Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth is set to be unveiled as the Football Association’s (FA) new head of elite men’s and women’s development, marking a significant return to the governing body he previously served for six years.
Ashworth, 54, left Manchester United in December, just five months after joining the club from Newcastle United, in a move orchestrated by Ineos. His departure reportedly cost United £4.1 million, according to figures revealed in the club’s February accounts.
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The highly respected football administrator previously worked at the FA from 2012 to 2018, where he was responsible for elite development across both the men’s and women’s national teams, as well as FA education and coaching initiatives.
In his new role, Ashworth will take charge of developing homegrown coaching talent, an area of increasing focus for the FA.
Currently, only two Premier League clubs have permanent English managers—a situation FA chief executive Mark Bullingham recently said the organisation is keen to address through strategic reforms.
Ashworth is also expected to oversee the next phase of redevelopment at St George’s Park, the FA’s national football centre and home to all England teams.
As first reported by The Telegraph, John McDermott, the FA’s current men’s technical director, will continue in his role alongside Ashworth. The FA has so far declined to comment on the impending appointment.
In an earlier interview with BBC Sport, Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe admitted that hiring Ashworth had been “an error on our part”, further highlighting the complex nature of the move.
