Coach Mark Jackson is leaving boyhood club Leeds United to take on his first top job on the frontline of the professional game with Milton Keynes Dons. The 45-year-old came through the coaching ranks at Thorp Arch to be a priceless asset in Jesse Marsch’s push to safety last season.
Yesterday, the head coach said the club would have been relegated had it not been for Jackson’s role behind the scenes. The former Whites defender was useful in laying out the club culture and history to Marsch at a time when the club was fighting for its life.
“All I can really talk about right now is Jacko has been an absolute asset for me from the first day I stepped foot into this building,” he said. “He has done everything, and more than, I could have hoped [for].
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“His passion, his commitment, his love of this club made him essential for me, and for us, in our quest to stay in the league. I fully believe without him we wouldn't have stayed in the league.
“He helped me understand what the culture of the club is, what the culture of the fans [is], what the history means to what we're building here. He helped me understand the player pool, what was done in the past, what he thinks we need to do in the future.
“He committed himself to what I was doing entirely. It's not for me to talk about what may be out there, what his future may be, but I can only say I value him completely as a person and as a football mind.
“I can see why there's interest in him because he has a big future.”
A Leeds statement said: "Everyone at Leeds United would like to thank Mark for his efforts and we wish him nothing but success in the future. An update on his replacement will be announced in due course."
Dons are third from bottom in League One.
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