Brighton & Hove Albion have issued a statement on Dan Ashworth after his switch to Newcastle United and insisted there are no hard feelings over his move to St James' Park.
Newcastle and the Seagulls have been locked in compensation talks since February when Ashworth resigned from his post but the Amex Stadium club put measures in place to slow down his move. Back then Seagulls supremo Paul Barber said: "We are always conscious of the risk of losing key staff to a rival. With that in mind, we always put in place contingencies and succession plans that are designed to minimise the impact on our club."
But after finally agreeing the compensation package for Ashworth, Brighton said after his release: "We would like to thank Dan for his services and wish him well for the future."
Brighton have replaced Ashworth with former Scotland star David Weir, with Albion commenting: "David Weir has been appointed as the club's new technical director with immediate effect.
"The former Rangers, Everton and Scotland player has been covering the role in an interim capacity since February of this year, and after Dan Ashworth's departure was confirmed earlier, the club has made the appointment permanent."
