Sean Kimberley says his remit as head of recruitment is a simple one – and is excited to be back at the club where he was handed his first opportunity in coaching.

Kimberley was this week appointed as the club’s new head of recruitment, returning to the club where he spent 14 years, first joining at the age of 23, working within the Academy.

After 14 years with Aston Villa, and short spells at Plymouth Argyle and Celtic, Kimberley is back as head of recruitment, replacing Gus Williams who left after just eight months, returning to FA Wales.

Kimberley is Rovers’ fourth head of recruitment in just two years, but he believes the club have built a strong structure behind the scenes that give him confidence for the future.

Much of his previous work was in the youth development, and recruiting young players, but he says his focus will largely be on bringing in players for Jon Dahl Tomasson’s first-team.

He explained: “Primarily the senior end of it.  I have an overview of the emerging talent but that’s in the good hands of Stuart (Jones) and his team down there, that doesn’t need interference.

“If there’s support I can add, great, but there’s good young players at this club and that’s testament to the work that goes on.

“Recruitment is very simple: ‘find the best players and best fit you can for whatever the organisation want at any given time’.

“Sounds easy to do, it’s not, but it’s not a complicated sentence.”

Kimberley will head up a department that has been strengthened extensively since the appointment of Gregg Broughton as director of football last summer, including the return of a head of European scouting.

Much of the focus has been on data and analytics, and while a big believer in that, Kimberley says more traditional methods also remain key.

Speaking to RoversTV, he said: “It’s critical because what you can source, recruit and retain it shapes the options the football staff have.

“It’s a back office role, I hope this is the only interview I do because it shouldn’t be about it, it should be our staff working hard behind the scenes to deliver players.

“It’s changed, because owners put in a lot of time and finance into the football clubs and they want a return and they want interest and buy-in in terms of the process.

“The advent of data and technology, which the football club has been supportive of building, and I’m lucky to join. We have some talented people in there so that’s the way forward and the metrics and analytics are used, but coupled with that, it’s digital and analogue.

“You still need an eye, to talk to people ,it’s still a communication business because ultimately deals and contracts and relationships play a part.

“We’ve got a fantastic opportunity with what the club has invested in and I hope I can add the more traditional aspects of recruitment to that, blend that together, and find some players.”

Rovers’ change of structure last summer saw Broughton’s role oversee seven departments within the football club, including recruitment.

The role of the head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson is to focus on working with the players day-to-day, but still maintaining an input into recruitment, as Kimberley has already seen first hand.

He says player recruitment fits within the overall vision of the club when that comes to the age of targets, as well as their character and also within the financial parameters set.

“There’s an overall ethos with the club and what they believe in, and in terms of return and investment, and the size and age profile of the squad is dictated to by that, and then it’s our job to come up with a list of players that are viable, and attainable, but more importantly of the right quality,” he added.

“Lists are fine, it’s signing the players from the list are important.

“I have to say in the short period I’ve been here the manager has been really engaged in that and has challenged the department, which is exactly what you need.

“You need people saying ‘we need this, what have you got?’ That’s healthy.

“The word project is very fashionable through our industry, but you need to have some structure and a goal and everyone buying into that.

“Everyone has to buy into that. They might do it at different levels, some of which the supporter base don’t see, but within the organisation you’re all in that boat paddling in the same direction.”

Kimberley says his return had to make sense beyond the emotional pull of the football club, built up from his first spell at Rovers, while equally it had to be right for the club.

“I feel very privileged, it’s lovely to come back,” he said.

“This club has always been dear to my heart because it gave me my first opportunity, and this being the type of business it is, you need opportunities whether you are a young player or a member of staff.

“So I am forever grateful for that.

“By the same token it’s the here and now and it’s an exciting time to be here.

“If I wasn’t the right fit for the football club and this wasn’t a challenge and something I’m excited by and wanted to be part of vision wise we wouldn’t be sitting here now.

“The emotional ties and knowing people and what it meant to supporters and where it sits in the community were emotional pulls.”