Former England Women striker, Eni Aluko, has been named the sporting director of Aston Villa Women.

The former Nigerian-British footballer, 32, who earned 102 caps for England over the course of her career, had recently announced her retirement from playing after leaving Juventus Women.

Speaking on her new role after being made Villa Women’s first-ever sporting director, Aluko, who played for Chelsea and Juventus thanked a number of people who helped her land the job, including Aston Villa assistant coach, John Terry.

She said: ‘I’m very excited to transition into a sporting director role. I feel it’s something that I’m ready for at this point in my career. I’ve always been passionate about the women’s game, its development and setting cultures that drive excellence.

‘I’ll be helping to create a successful club in Aston Villa Women, and obviously I’m back home in Birmingham where it all started for me. I’m excited for this next step.’

She also wrote on Twitter: ‘A special thanks to Christian Purslow, corporate affairs director Paul Tyrell and assistant coach, the legend John Terry.’