SEAMUS Brady has been appointed as Swindon Town’s sporting director to be Lee Power’s eyes, ears and mouth when the chairman cannot be in the country.

Brady comes to Swindon having most recently been a performance analyst at Aston Villa and Tottenham, with both spells coming under Power’s good friend Tim Sherwood.

The Irishman’s role will be to oversee the completion of the training ground at 12 Oaks and act as a middleman from a footballing perspective when Power is out of the country.

Brady’s appointment follows that of Sam Jewell as chief scout and is the latest indication that Power is taking a step back from his very direct hand in first team affairs.

The chairman’s status as a tax exile means he can only spend limited days in the UK. Thus Power’s loosening of the reins can be explained by the additional time taken during his time as caretaker manager and in recruiting Mark Cooper’s successor, Martin Ling.

On Brady, Power is confident that the incoming man will be a good addition to the backroom staff.

“Seamus has joined us as sporting director,” Power told BBC Wiltshire. “I spent a little bit more time in the country than I wanted to, with the chopping and changing of the manager.

“There’s a lot going on at the football club. With the training facility now that’s due for completion there’s numerous meetings with councils and so on for that, so Seamus is going to help oversee that for us.

“Then (he will) just sit in and take a view throughout the football club on how everything is being run, he’ll be my cushion while I’m overseas.

“He gets on very well with Martin (Ling), knows Luke (Williams) and all the guys very well. He worked with Tim (Sherwood) at Tottenham and then Tim took him to Villa.

“Tim recommended him to us and we’re looking forward to working with Seamus. He’ll be valuable to the club.”