Leeds have appointed former Celtic head of football operations Nick Hammond as “interim football advisor on a short-term contract”.
Hammond, 55, will help Leeds with their summer recruitment plans as they continue their search for a permanent director of football.
The club said: “Leeds United are pleased to confirm the appointment of Nick Hammond as the club’s interim football advisor on a short-term contract.
“Hammond will help support the club during the summer transfer window.
“The experienced 55-year-old, former director of football at Reading and head of football operations at Celtic, worked in a similar consultancy role at Newcastle United.
“The process for finding a new, permanent, director of football at Leeds United is under way and the club aim to complete this process by October, allowing the successful candidate to focus on the January transfer window.”
Former Swindon and Reading goalkeeper Hammond spent 13 years as Reading’s first director of football from 2003 and was West Brom’s technical director before becoming Celtic’s head of football operations in 2019.
Leeds parted company with former director of football Victor Orta by mutual consent last month, shortly before being relegated from the Premier League.
They are also in the hunt for a new head coach after Sam Allardyce, appointed with four games remaining, left Elland Road earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Celtic appear close to securing the services of Brendan Rodgers for a second time after pushing the boat out to bring their former manager back as Ange Postecoglou’s successor.
The Hoops have been on the hunt for a new boss since the Australian sealed his move to Tottenham last Tuesday.
After being linked with Manchester City assistant Enzo Maresca, Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen and West Ham manager David Moyes, among others, the Celtic board have now homed in on Rodgers, with whom they met in Majorca last weekend to initiate discussions.
The Northern Irishman left Celtic to take over at Leicester almost four and a half years ago, but he now appears set for a return to the club at which he won all seven domestic trophies available to him while laying the foundations for a remarkable quadruple-treble that was completed by his successor Neil Lennon.
