Former Rangers director of football Mark Allen has been appointed to lead Swansea’s academy.

Allen oversaw the appointment of Steven Gerrard at Ibrox before leaving “for family reasons and in order to explore other options” in September 2019.

The 57-year-old had previously spent eight years as Manchester City’s director of academy, when the likes of Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho came through the system, and will now take on a similar role in south Wales.

“He has a proven track record of working with young, talented footballers at Manchester City and preparing them for the first-team environment,” Swansea chief executive Julian Winter told the club’s website.

“His success at Glasgow Rangers also stood out, and his involvement there shows he is knowledgeable of the requirements and demands not just at academy level but at senior level too.”