Mark Wright, the manager who led Chester City to the Conference title in 2004, is back in English football.
The former Liverpool and England defender has been appointed as 'head of club development' at his former club Southport.
It is Wright's first job on these shores since leaving now defunct Chester City at the end of the 2008-09 season.
The 53-year-old will oversee Southport's 'on-the-field activities' and will announce his choice of management team later this week.
The Sandgrounders were relegated from the Vanarama National League this season and told former Airbus UK Broughton boss Andy Preece, who had held the post since February, he would have to reapply for the position alongside other interested parties.
Wright, who started his managerial career at Southport in December 1999 and, in his one full season at the club, helped them achieve a fourth-placed finish in the non-league top flight, said: "I am delighted to come back.
"The immediate aim of the team and I is to build a squad this summer and develop that squad throughout the season.
"I am looking to develop the club, building on the successful community programmes and the commercial activities already in place.
"To me this is an all-embracing role - developing players, working in the community with schools and youngsters plus bringing more commercial activity to the club.
"I am very excited about the project James Treadwell and Adrian Shandley have given me. Via our community delivery I am aiming to engage with the people of Southport and increase our gates.
"It will take time. I believe together we can really take Southport Football Club forward. It will be good to meet lots of familiar faces in the weeks ahead. I already feel at home."
Wright's last managerial role was in Malta with Floriana FC, where he linked up again with the Vaughan family, who owned Chester City at the time of the club's ignominious demise.
Fan-owned Chester FC rose from the ashes of Chester City and, after winning three successive promotions, have spent the last four seasons in the Vanarama National League.
