Wilcox leaving Man City to become Southampton Director of Football
Jason Wilcox joined City's Academy as a coach in 2012
Written by Training Ground Guru — January 20, 2023
JASON WILCOX will leave Manchester City after more than a decade in the summer to become Director of Football at Southampton.
The 51-year-old joined City as an Academy coach in 2012, becoming their Under-18s lead a year later. The former Premier League winner went on to be appointed Head of Academy Coaching and then Academy Director in 2017.
At Southampton he will replace Director of Football Operations Matt Crocker, who joined in January 2020 from the Football Association and is leaving the club at the end of the season.
Saints chairman Henrik Kraft said: “We are so pleased to announce Jason as the new Director of Football at Southampton. His strong track record, not only as a player, but also as a senior football executive makes him the ideal candidate to lead our football department going forwards.
“Jason was someone who stood out from the start of our search. He is the perfect fit for Southampton, someone who is hardworking, diligent and passionate about improving himself and those around him.
“At City he has helped develop some fantastic young players and delivered a pathway for them to be able to comfortably adapt into a competitive first-team environment.
“We are convinced that Jason will continue the great work he has achieved at Man City here at Southampton and look forward to him joining us in the summer.”
Wilcox will report into Southampton CEO Martin Semmens and “take responsibility for all football departments, including the men’s first team, Academy and the women’s and girls’ programme,” the club said.
Player recruitment will be another part of his remit, with Director Rasmus Ankersen overseeing it until Wilcox arrives in the building. Ankersen is Chief Executive of Southampton owners Sport Republic and was previously Director of Football at Brentford and their sister club FC Midtjylland.
Wilcox has overseen a period of great progress for City’s Academy.
This season, both the club’s U18s and U21s will bid for an unprecedented third league and cup double. The club has also risen significantly in TGG’s annual Academy Productivity Rankings - from 14th in 2016/17 to fourth in 2021/22.
Homegrown players are also beginning to establish themselves in City’s first team - most notably Phil Roden, Rico Lewis and Cole Palmer.
In a statement, the Premier League champions said: "Everyone at Manchester City would like to thank Jason for his excellent work."
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