Eddy Jennings has been named Bristol Rovers' head of football operations.
Jennings is a close friend and colleague of Rovers manager Joey Barton, spearheading the club's recruitment setup in a consultancy capacity. The move means Jennings, formerly director of football at Fleetwood Town and an agent for Wasserman, is an official member of staff at Rovers.
In practice, the move changes very little, with Jennings' remit remaining largely the same. His work will focus largely on player recruitment and the running of football operations at The Quarters, a role last held by Tommy Widdrington.
However, it is another statement of the faith Wael Al-Qadi has in Barton given the considerable staff overhaul that has taken place since the 40-year-old's arrival in February 2021. First-team coaches Andy Mangan, Danny Ventre and Glenn Whelan, strength & conditioning duo Tom and Greg Short, head of medical Stuart Leake, nutritionist James Aitken, goalkeeper coaches Tony Warner and David Coles and now Jennings have all been appointments driven by the manager.
"We are pleased to formally announce that Eddy Jennings has taken up the role of head of football operations at Bristol Rovers," a spokesman said.
"Previously director of football at Fleetwood Town, Eddy has been a consultant to Bristol Rovers throughout manager Joey Barton’s tenure, supporting the recruitment of players and staff, as well as guiding the general management of the football operation.
"In his role, Eddy will continue to oversee the player recruitment department and support the day-to-day management of the football operations within the club."
Jennings first encountered Barton while working for Puma in the north east whereby Barton - then playing for Newcastle United in the Premier League - held a boot deal with the German sports manufacturer. The pair have been close ever since, with Jennings part of the backroom team at Fleetwood after his time as an agent.
His promotion at Rovers also follows a theme from their stint together at Fleetwood as on that occasion, Jennings initially served as a "consultant" before being appointed full-time to the director of football role after roughly a year.
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