Crook, 45, is a former coach of Newcastle United in the National Soccer League competition, and has now returned to the Hunter after spells as assistant coach at Sydney in the inaugural season of the A-League and more recently Avispa Fukuoka in Japan.

Crook’s new role will encompass a variety of responsibilities, with a predominant focus on youth development. The current agreement will see the English-born coach stay on board with the Jets for the next 3 years.

Newcastle Jets CEO John Tsatsimas believes the appointment of Crook will be of great benefit to the club, particularly leading into the 2009 AFC Champions league competition.

He said: “We are very pleased to have Ian coming in as part of the coaching staff here at the Newcastle Jets.

“We believe with his experience and skills that it will add a significant amount to our already talented football department.

“After having secured Gary van Egmond and Mark Jones to long-term deals, Ian’s appointment further solidifies our goal to emphasise youth development and create career pathways for footballers in the Hunter region.

“He will also work closely with our Youth Team coach Craig Deans to give guidance to our youngsters coming through the ranks.

“In addition to his general coaching expertise, Ian has invaluable experience in Asia, coming to us from Japan. As we all know, Asia is the way forward for football in Australia and our club plans on being a big part of that.”

“With this latest development in our football department, our club has demonstrated a willingness to excel in generating footballers at the elite level in Australia."