Leeds United have confirmed Nick Hammond as their interim football advisor.
In an official statement released by the Whites, Hammond has joined on a three-month deal and will oversee the summer transfer window, which is set to be a busy one with several incomings and outgoings expected.
Hammond is described as effectively filling Victor Orta’s role on a temporary basis following his dismissal by Leeds at the beginning of last month.
The 55-year-old’s arrival will hand San Francisco 49ers Enterprises and Angus Kinnear the time to find the right man for the position, a process which is expected to be completed by October.
Here is five facts you need to know on Hammond following his appointment.
Occupied similar role at Newcastle in January 2022
All be it in the Premier League, Newcastle United found themselves in a similar situation 18 months ago after their takeover.
In order to buy themselves time to find the right man – which was eventually Brighton’s Dan Ashworth – Hammond was brought into help with recruitment in what was a huge transfer window.
The Magpies were right in the mix for relegation but an excellent January saw them bring in the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier, securing survival with ease.
20 years of experience
Hammond has been in these sort of roles for around 20 years now after moving from Reading’s academy manager to sporting director in 2003.
He spent just under 13 years at the Royals, overseeing an extremely successful period at the club, before moving onto West Bromwich Albion, and then Celtic.
Reading success
Hammond became Reading’s first ever sporting director in 2003 and oversaw two promotions to the Premier League in 2005/06 and 2011/12.
The 2005/06 team remains the best in Championship history having accumulated 106 points in just 46 matches, losing just two matches.
This was then followed by an eighth place finish in the Premier League – the highest ever in the club’s history. He was also there when Reading reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 2014/15.
Playing career
Hammond was a goalkeeper back during his playing days in a career that spanned 15 years. He began as an apprentice at Arsenal before spending time out on loan at Bristol Rovers, Peterborough and Aberdeen.
His most notable spell came at Swindon Town between 1987 and 1995, but ultimately it was a career plagued by injuries, which saw him retire relatively early for a goalkeeper to become a coach under Alan Pardew at Reading.
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