Canaries legend appointed sporting director of Championship club
Mark Bowen, pictured in action for Norwich City Legends against Inter Forever at Carrow Road last year Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Championship side Reading have appointed Norwich City legend Mark Bowen as sporting director, after a successful spell as a consultant helped the Royals steer clear of relegation last season.
It's a role which the Canaries have found success with since bringing in Stuart Webber as their first sporting director, from Huddersfield in April 2017, with Daniel Farke soon following as City's first head coach.
Now Reading are following the same model, with former Wales left-back Bowen to take charge of all football operations at the Berkshire club, working closely with manager Jose Gomes.
Reading chief executive, Nigel Howe, explained: "Mark proved a valuable asset to the first team structure when he joined us at the end of last season and he has been working from within our first team and academy operations at Hogwood during the last couple of months.
"Mr Dai (owner, Yongge Dai), the manager and I will now lend Mark our utmost support as he embarks on this new role at Reading."
Norwich City top 100 - Mark Bowen (9): The left-back who scored that famed 'fantasy football' goal against Bayern Munich
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Bowen made scored 27 goals in 399 games for Norwich between 1987 and 1996, and was an integral part of team which finished fourth in the top flight and reached the FA Cup semi-finals under Dave Stringer in 1989.
Mark Bowen made 399 appearances for Norwich City Picture: Archant Library - Credit: Archant
He also captained the team which reached the FA Cup semi-finals again in 1992 before remaining a key player under Mike Walker as third place was secured in the Premier League in 1992-93, sparking a run to the Uefa Cup third round during which the Welshman scored as City recorded a famous 2-1 victory in Bayern Munich.
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He continued his career with spells at West Ham, Charlton, Wigan and Reading before regular stints as assistant to Mark Hughes, including with Wales, Blackburn, Manchester City, Fulham and Southampton.
The 55-year-old former Tottenham trainee now lends his vast experience to the Royals on a permanent basis
Reading eventually finished seven points clear of the bottom three last season, thanks to just three defeats in their last 13 games, and picked up their first win of the season when they beat Cardiff 3-0 at the Madejski Stadium on Saturday.
