Southampton football director joining US Soccer: reports

Southampton director of football Matt Crocker has been hired by the US Soccer Federation as the organization's new sporting director, multiple US media reported on Sunday.

Reports in The Athletic and Washington Post said Crocker would be formally named to the role next week following a two-month search.

Crocker replaces Earnie Stewart, who stepped down from the job in February to join Dutch side PSV Eindhoven.

Crocker announced in December he would step down from his Southampton role at the end of the Premier League season.

He had been with the club since early 2020 after joining from the English FA.

He had previously worked at Southampton as manager of the club's academy that produced talents such as Gareth Bale, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Luke Shaw.

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Crocker joins US Soccer at a time of turmoil in the men's national team, which has been without a permanent head coach since last year's World Cup finals in Qatar.

World Cup coach Gregg Berhalter's contract expired after the tournament, but his future was thrown into question after an investigation into decades-old allegations of domestic violence.

Those allegations emerged in the wake of Berhalter's treatment of Borussia Dortmund's Gio Reyna at the World Cup.

US Soccer have said there is no reason not to consider Berhalter for re-appointment, but Crocker will head the hunt for the US national team head coach.

"US Soccer's process for determining who will serve as Sporting Director is ongoing," the federation said in March.

"The Sporting Director will lead the process of determining who will serve as head coach of the Men's National Team."

Anthony Hudson has served as an interim head coach for the US team.