West Bromwich Albion have appointed Arsenal's head of academy performance Tony Strudwick as their new director of medical services.
The 49-year-old links back up with Steve Bruce at the Championship club after working with the Baggies boss during his Sheffield Wednesday tenure.
In addition to his time at Arsenal and Wednesday, Strudwick has served as the head of performance at Manchester United while Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge previously and has international experience with England and Wales.
Albion confirmed the off-field appointment today to continue a summer of change at The Hawthorns.
Strudwick, who has been appointed to strengthen and guide the West Midlands club's medical and sports science departments, will begin his work later in July.
He revealed that speaking to Bruce helped convince him to leave The Emirates in favour of a move to West Brom.
"When I spoke to Steve, I was pleased to hear energy and passion were still evident in his voice," Strudwick told the club website.
"When I worked with him before I quickly struck up an excellent relationship with his coaching staff and I’m looking forward to working with the team again.
“I was also impressed by CEO Ron Gourlay who has a vision for where he wants to take the club and that vision is clearly shared by Steve.
“The opportunity to join the club and the scope of the role will allow me to have a significant, positive impact and I’m excited by what we can achieve together.
“Albion is a traditional club with loyal support and is deep-rooted in its community. Having visited The Hawthorns on various occasions I have always been struck by the connection between players, staff and fans – and that’s something I hope will continue to grow in the future. It’s important for me to be at a club that is connected with its key stakeholders, most importantly the fans.
“I’ve followed the progress the group have made out in Portugal and I’m super excited to be working with the players and staff in the coming weeks.”
Gourlay added that he was delighted to have brought in "one of the very best in his field".
He said: "Tony is highly respected within football, and we believe his appointment will strengthen the medical and sports science departments which he will oversee. His appointment is another positive step in improving standards across the football club as we ready ourselves to take on the challenges ahead.”
The Verdict
This looks to be a real coup from a West Brom perspective, who have pinched a key staff member from the Gunners.
You only have to look at Strudwick's CV, which includes Man United under Ferguson, England, Wales, West Ham United, and Blackburn Rovers as well as Arsenal, to see his experience and pedigree.
Albion have done some really impressive business in the transfer market this summer – signing the likes of Jed Wallace and John Swift – and an off-field hire such as this one not only continues that momentum but could help get the best out of the new arrivals and the rest of the squad.
Strudwick's appointment may not be one has a clear impact straight away but there's no denying it's a positive move.