November 9 2013

Selhurst Park (Photo: Andy Roberts)

Crystal Palace Football Club have appointed Iain Moody in a new sporting director role.

Moody quit the post as Cardiff's head of recruitment last month after the club replaced him with a 23-year-old friend of owner Vincent Tan's son who was on work experience.

He will now help Palace find a manager and work with the new boss and the board to recruit players.

"We're very happy with Iain Moody. I met him and was very impressed with him," co-chairman Steve Parish said.

"Player recruitment is essential at a football club. He'll work directly with me and the new manager when he's appointed.

"Iain is someone whose opinion we'll ask about getting the new manager. We want to appoint someone quickly but we must get the right person. We want someone who will take this club forward over the next three-to-five years.

"We're down to three or four possibilities, and we would hope to get something in place for Tuesday and Wednesday next week, though it might go on a little longer."

Moody began his career as a Uefa-appointed interpreter for the Italian national side for Euro 96 and worked as a journalist on football365.com three years later, before joining a sports management agency in 2001.

He moved to Watford as a press officer, then became football operations manager alongside then Hornets manager Malky Mackay and followed him to Cardiff.

Moody helped bring in Gary Medel and Steven Caulker for Cardiff over the summer, along with Kevin Theophile-Catherine, striker Andreas Cornelius, and forwards Fraizer Campbell, Jordon Mutch and Kim Bo-Kyung.

Moody said: "I am very excited by the opportunity I have been offered and would like to thank the club for their faith in me.

"The club has made impressive progress since 2010 and I look forward to playing my part in helping ensure their continued success. I can't wait to get started."