Manchester United have appointed Jason Wilcox as their new technical director after the club agreed a compensation deal with Southampton.

The appointment will take immediate effect and it is expected that the 53-year former Blackburn Rovers and Leeds United player will report for duty at United’s Carrington training ground on Monday.

In a short statement released on Friday evening, United said, “Jason Wilcox has joined Manchester United as Technical Director with immediate effect. He will work with all technical areas of the football department to achieve the highest standards of performance.”

“Jason was previously director of football at Southampton and before that academy director at Manchester City. As a player he won the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers in 1995.”

It is expected that United’s current technical director Darren Fletcher will remain at the club with a new role working with both the first team and the academy.

United had first approached Southampton for Wilcox’s services at the start of the month and have been locked in talks ever since to secure his release.

On Friday, Southampton said, “it has reluctantly agreed to allow Director of Football Jason Wilcox to join Manchester United, having reached an agreement with the Premier League side on an acceptable compensation fee.”

“Whilst the club is naturally disappointed that Jason’s stay at Southampton has only lasted nine months, it wishes him well for the future.”

Wilcox’s arrival at Old Trafford is a part of United’s wider overhaul of their sporting department, instigated by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group who became minority investors in the club earlier this year.

This has also seen the appointment of a new CEO Omar Berrada, who previously worked with Wilcox at Manchester City.

Wilcox will report to United’s new Sporting Director Dan Ashworth, who is currently on gardening leave from Newcastle United as the clubs negotiate his release.

Wilcox built his reputation as a nurturer of talent over a decade at Manchester City, where he joined as an academy coach in 2012, before he later became head coach of the Under-18s who he led to a national title and two FA Youth Cup finals.

In 2017 he was appointed City’s academy director and under his reign he helped develop several leading players including Phil Foden, Rico Lewis and Cole Palmer, before moving to Southampton in January 2023.

Wilcox enjoyed a successful playing career for Blackburn Rovers, where he won the Premier League in 1995, Leeds United, Leicester City and Blackpool. He also made three appearances for England.