Rudy Gestede will oversee every department at Blackburn Rovers' Brockhall Training Centre after being named Head of Football Operations.

The former striker is back at Ewood Park in an official capacity having shadowed at the club over the last year. Gestede has completed a CEO Sports Organisation in Manchester and has now taken up his first role in club football.

Gestede will work closely with Chief Executive Steve Waggott to ensure there is alignment throughout the club. He outlined how delighted he is to be back at Rovers.

“I couldn’t take my first steps into life off the pitch in a better place than with Blackburn Rovers,” Gestede said.

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“I can only thank the Ownership, Steve Waggott and Suhail for giving me the opportunity to start and I’m very excited to be part of this environment now. I will give 100% for the club, just as I did when I was a player here.

“I’m very excited and so pleased to be back, and looking forward to the start of the new season. My role will be to oversee every department at the Senior Training Centre, from administration to catering to recruitment and making sure every department is linked together with the Academy.

“As a club, we should all be aligned as one and pushing in the same direction, from the Academy to the first team. It’s important for someone to link it all together and I’ll make sure I do my best to help us reach the same goal.”

John Park has also returned to Rovers as Head of Recruitment, replacing Sean Kimberley. Alongside Waggott and Head Coach John Eustace, he will lead Rovers' recruitment plans moving forward.

Park left Rovers in 2022 alongside Tony Mowbray but Rovers were keen to retain his service at the time. The Scot is delighted to return and keen to ensure Rovers are successful in the market to bolster the squad this summer.

“I’m so delighted to be back,” Park said. 

“It was a club that was close to my heart when I left and I’ve always kept in touch with the people at the club, so I’m really looking forward to the challenge of trying to put another team together.

“I enjoyed it immensely the first time around. I loved the area and I loved the people. The staff were really kind to me and I felt a good affinity with everyone here, and I think that’s what endeared me to come back.

“There’s a fresh start and a fresh impetus going forward, with different people and different ideas and different mentalities on the game, so hopefully by the end of the summer transfer window we can conjure up a few diamonds and see where it takes us.”