Wigan Athletic old-boy makes footballing history

The 49-year-old - who filled the senior roles of Head of Recruitment, Academy Manager and Head of Football Operations at Wigan, after helping the club reach the Premier League in 2005 - has taken up the newly-created post with Wolves.

Part of his remit will be to market players, and deciding whether players would benefit from loan spells away or move on a permanent basis.

“To be able to work for a Premier League club and one that is very well run and progressive is huge for my point of view," Jackson said.

“This is also an area I have a lot of experience in with the roles I’ve been in previously - areas that have become interesting to me over recent years and areas we’ve identified that clubs haven’t necessarily made a priority previously, which fit perfectly with the different skill sets I’ve got.

“A huge part of what attracted me to the role was that it was entirely new and a chance to shape a role and a department going forwards that can support so many other elements of the football club.

“There are many different ways that players leave football clubs, right through from the lower levels of the Academy, all the way up to commercial sales from the first-team.

“Obviously, it’s very different if you’re dealing with a nine, 10 or 11-year-old leaving the Academy, a 16 or 17-year-old going off to university in America after completing a spell at the football club, or being sold out of the first team.

"Ultimately, we want to make every exit from the football club as positive an experience for the player and the club as possible.

"The club has a responsibility to the welfare of its players and their families, and we want to do the very best by them as we can.

"But we also have a commercial responsibility to the football club, and my role will be blending the two, hopefully seamlessly, for everybody.”