Dan Ashworth has taken on a new role after his shock exit from Manchester United in December following less than six months in the job with the Red Devils
Dan Ashworth has landed his first job since he was sacked by Manchester United.
Ashworth’s departure from Old Trafford was confirmed after just a five month stint as the club’s sporting director. The former England director was seen as a pivotal part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s revamp of United’s sporting hierarchy, having been prised away from Newcastle United. However, his tenure was brief, with United shelling out over £4million to secure his services and facilitate his exit.
Following his sacking in December, Ashworth has taken a consultancy role at Warwickshire County Cricket Club, marking his first venture since parting ways with Manchester United in December. The 53-year-old has offered his expertise to Warwickshire on various high-performance issues, according to The Times.
Despite not being in the running for their new performance director position, Ashworth is set to assist the county side, albeit for a significantly lower paycheck than his previous job. Former Warwickshire captain Jim Troughton is rumoured to be in contention for the performance director role.
Ashworth’s ties with Warwickshire date back to 2021 when he joined their cricket audit committee, an honorary role overseeing the county’s ‘elite teams and high-performance structure’.
Since Ashworth’s Old Trafford departure, CEO Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox have become crucial connectors between the squad and the club’s chiefs. Christopher Vivell has been working as director of recruitment on an interim basis, with his role possibly being made permanent by INEOS.
Despite Ashworth parting ways with the club on amicable terms, it’s reported that United acknowledged they were not thorough enough when they brought him on board. Ratcliffe was keen on British know-how, but Ashworth’s approach was criticised for being too ‘very UK-focused’.
The club’s chiefs’ were also unimpressed with his suggestions for Erik ten Hag’s successor, branding his picks as overly cautious. Ashworth was reportedly ‘heavy on negatives and light on solutions’.
United announced Ashworth’s exit publicly at the end of last year in a brief 41-word statement: “Dan Ashworth will be leaving his role as Sporting Director of Manchester United by mutual agreement. We would like to thank Dan for his work and support during a transitional period for the club and wish him well for the future.”