Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is delighted to bring talent spotter Bryan 'Pop' Robson back to the club.
Robson was working as Chelsea's North East scout before joining Sunderland, with his main role to assess the Blues' upcoming opponents.
But he has a keen eye for a player and will be expected to build on a Black Cats scouting network that now regularly takes in 23 matches in all parts of the globe over a weekend.
"It's a massive appointment," Bruce told The Journal. "We all take huge pride in what we've done. Part of the job is recruitment, that's massive.
"I briefly worked with Pop at Birmingham, he did a little stint for me. I wanted somebody who knew the club, was ingrained there a bit.
"It was a big call for him to come out the comfort of Chelsea, working in the North East for them. But he's a good man, a good, honest, genuine man who has a good eye for a player too.
"He's been in the business a while and I'm sure he'll do a good job."