Albion appoint Jason Ayto as new sporting director

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New sporting director takes on role with immediate effect.

2025-09-15T17:29+01:00

Jason Ayto previously worked at Arsenal as assistant sporting director. 📷 James Boardman.

Jason Ayto has joined the club as sporting director, and will take up the position with immediate effect.

Deputy chairman and chief executive Paul Barber said, “We are delighted to welcome Jason to the club. We are all very much looking forward to working with one of the most talented young sporting directors in the country.”

Based at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre, Jason will report to Paul Barber and work closely with men's and women's team head coaches Fabian Hurzeler and Dario Vidosic.

The 40-year-old will also oversee all footballing areas of the club including player recruitment, performance and medical for the club’s senior men’s and women’s teams and academies.

Jason said, “I’m honoured to be appointed sporting director at Brighton & Hove Albion and I’m very grateful to Tony Bloom, Paul Barber and the board for this opportunity.

Jason Ayto will work in close partnership with the club's new technical director Mike Cave. 📷 James Boardman.

“This is a special club, admired across the footballing world for its culture, ambition and smart thinking, all of which has underpinned some remarkable progress in recent years.

“To be joining at a time when there is such a strong desire to build on those excellent foundations, innovate further and bring success is incredibly exciting.

“I’m looking forward to getting started and working with, and supporting both our head coaches Fabian Hurzeler and Dario Vidosic, and their respective playing squads.”

In a further organisational change assistant technical director Mike Cave has been promoted to the role of technical director.

Jason Ayto and Mike Cave. 📷 by James Boardman.

Reporting to Jason, Mike, will work in close partnership with our new sporting director across all technical areas, including men’s and women’s teams and both academies, and men's first-team medical and performance areas.

Jason added, “I’m also delighted to have the opportunity to work with Mike, who is an excellent operator, incredibly well respected within the game, and with his working knowledge of the club, it will be hugely beneficial working alongside him.

“Together, our focus will be on supporting all of our players, coaches and staff to help us achieve our aims on the pitch.”

Jason left Arsenal at the end of last season, where he held a number of technical roles, including assistant sporting director to Edu, during more than a decade with the Gunners.

He was promoted to the role of interim sporting director at Arsenal last November, following Edu’s departure — a role he fulfilled until May of this year.

Hailing from Nottinghamshire, Jason studied at the University of Leicester, and is multi-lingual, speaking Portuguese and Spanish as well as his native English.

He joined Arsenal from Norwich City, where he worked in a senior role in academy recruitment, during a period when the Canaries won the FA Youth Cup in 2013.

Prior to that, he had a spell in the US with a start-up football club in Chicago and has several years’ experience from his time working at a sports management company in London.