Hendrik Almstadt

[Legion]

Welcome to Villa Park!

Our first-ever Sporting Director

[Legion]

Aston Villa Football Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Hendrik Almstadt as the Club's first ever Sporting Director.

The 40-year old German joins the Club from Arsenal where he spent the last four years in the football department working with the chief executive and manager in the areas of technical scouting, data analytics, financial budgeting and contract management, the academy and athletic development.

Chief executive Tom Fox said: "I'm really pleased to welcome Hendrik to Aston Villa.

"I was able to see first hand the excellent work he did at Arsenal and he will add tremendous value across our entire football set-up."

Almstadt begins work officially at Bodymoor Heath on Monday and is looking forward to the new challenge.

He said: "I can't wait to start my new role at Aston Villa.

"It is a club with huge potential, a rich history and deep roots in Birmingham, the Midlands, and within English and European football.

"I look forward to working again with Tom Fox and to establish a close relationship with the manager, Tim Sherwood."

Manager Tim Sherwood said: "I'm really excited Hendrik is joining.

"We have a lot of work to do at the football club and Hendrik will make the job I have here easier."

[wozwebs]

Takeover well dead and buried if appointing new roles. Welcome Hendrik

[ciggiesnbeer]

Welcome.

"The 40-year old German joins the Club from Arsenal where he spent the last four years in the football department working with the chief executive and manager in the areas of technical scouting, data analytics, financial budgeting and contract management, the academy and athletic development."

Just focus on this bit of your job mate.

[The Left Side]

Welcome Hendrik, is this the new title for Director of Football Operations then?

[exigo]

Welcome Hendrik. Here's hoping you know all about release clauses and when contracts are due to run out.

[cheltenhamlion]

Welcome Hendrik, is this the new title for Director of Football Operations then?

Yep.

[eamonn]

Have we thrown money at him to leave Arsenal or is he just fed-up of Jack Wilshere's punchable face ?

[OCD]

I think there will be a couple more appointments similar to this over the next few months. I'm quite happy about this, its taken far too long but we're starting to act in a way that will likely take us forward.

[brian green]

Don't tell him your name Delph.

[Tuscans]

I hope Tim still has full power on who he brings in....

Not a fan of these Sporting Directors to be honest, another foreign myth that British football thinks it must have.

[PaulWinch again]

I'm curious to see what this role entails.

[Toronto Villa]

I think there will be a couple more appointments similar to this over the next few months. I'm quite happy about this, its taken far too long but we're starting to act in a way that will likely take us forward.

Yep. Look back just twelve months at the structure of the board and the coaching staff to what it is now. To be a PL football club aspiring to compete at the right end of the table you have to act it. And we are starting to move in that direction.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

I hope Tim still has full power on who he brings in....

Not a fan of these Sporting Directors to be honest, another foreign myth that British football thinks it must have.

He's hardly a Sporting Director, more like a swot that will do Sherwood's homework for him.

[Risso]

Aston Villa Football Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Hendrik Almstadt as the Club's first ever Sporting Director.

The 40-year old German joins the Club from Arsenal where he spent the last four years in the football department working with the chief executive and manager in the areas of technical scouting, data analytics, financial budgeting and contract management, the academy and athletic development.

Chief executive Tom Fox said: "I'm really pleased to welcome Hendrik to Aston Villa.

"I was able to see first hand the excellent work he did at Arsenal and he will add tremendous value across our entire football set-up."

Almstadt begins work officially at Bodymoor Heath on Monday and is looking forward to the new challenge.

He said: "I can't wait to start my new role at Aston Villa.

"It is a club with huge potential, a rich history and deep roots in Birmingham, the Midlands, and within English and European football.

"I look forward to working again with Tom Fox and to establish a close relationship with the manager, Tim Sherwood."

Manager Tim Sherwood said: "I'm really excited Hendrik is joining.

"We have a lot of work to do at the football club and Hendrik will make the job I have here easier."

If only we'd had somebody with those skills under O'Neill when Pubehead was looking to sign Heskey.

"31 years old, 3 and a half year contract at £65K a week.  Computer says no."