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Togbe Afede XIV, Executive Board Chairman of Accra Hearts of Oak Sporting Club, has said the newly appointed Managing Director (MD) of the club, Mr. David Mark Noonan is the right man to handle the affairs of the club.

      Mr. Noonan, who started work on Monday, March 5, was officially introduced to the public as the club's new MD in Accra on Wednesday.

         The American football marketing expert, has been given a three-year mandate to re-brand Hearts of Oak and make it "commercially viable".

        He said having made heavy investments in the last six years, Mr. Noonan was the right man to manage and bring positive results to the club.

          Togbe Afede noted that, the Board had in the past chosen MD’s from the supporters, but with little success hence it was time to choose someone who would make the Phobian club the best managed club on the continent, adding the Board was ready to invest much higher than before.

          "We chose full-blooded Phobians from among you, just so that our fans can truly feel part of this great club, but this did not work.

            “The has Board has decided to take a bold step by appointing somebody who would reflect exactly the dream of making the club Accra Hearts of Oak the best in Africa and among the best managed worldwide.

            “Noonan is a very accomplished manager and a marketer," Togbe Afede said.

         "The massive investments that we are going to make beyond what we have already done requires a top manager to ensure that these investments yield the right results."

         Mr. Noonan said he was happy to join the club and was willing to make it “better" that it's current status.

      "My goal is to leave the club in a much better place than what I found. I pledge to work tirelessly to do that. I wouldn't come if I didn't think I could be part of the solution," he said.

          He called on the media to give them fair and balance reportage.

         He added that he looked forward to working with the supporters in achieving glory on the field of play.

          Mr. Noonan is a graduate from the Duke University in the United States of America, where he played football for the school. He worked with the Football governing body of the USA (US Soccer Federation) as the Chief Marketing Officer.

          He subsequently worked with the Major League Soccer (MLS), the elite division of football in USA as the Executive Vice President for Marketing and Fan development.