Thaksin Shinawatra

MANCHESTER City are set to appoint a big hitting executive chairman to lead the club’s global expansion.

With club owner Thaksin Shinawatra spending more time in the Far East as he prepares his return to Thailand, the new executive will be in position ‘within weeks’.

While Dr Thaksin will remain as chairman, the new director will drive forward the former Thai Premier’s vision of creating a global brand for Manchester City.

Chief executive Alistair Mackintosh will retain day to day control of the club, with his new colleague looking after the overseas business.

This will include the creation of business partnerships, negotiating sponsorship deals in Asia and North America – a huge untapped market for British football clubs – and also establishing youth academies all over the world.

Club spokesman Paul Tyrrell said: “We have not made an appoitment yet. With Dr Thaksin increasingly spending more time overseas, it should be within the next few weeks.”

Since Dr Thaksin’s takeover the club has moved quickly to capitalise on the chairman’s Asian business know-how.

In November a £1m three year deal with Asian drinks compamy Singha Beers was announced.

City have also set up partnership deals with five clubs dotted around the footballing globe – Shanghai Shenhua in China, FC Moscow in Russia, Thanda Zulu in South Africa, Chon Buri in Thailand and Perth Glory in Australia.

Meanwhile the Blue’s billionaire owner has moved a step closer to returning to Thailand after the Thai Supreme Court dismissed a law suit seeking to dissolve the People Power Party (PPP), the biggest vote winner of last month’s general election.

The court rejected a petition accusing the PPP of violating electoral law by acting as a proxy for Dr Thaksin’s banned party.

The move helps to clear the way for the PPP to form a government, ending more than a year of military rule.

The elections were the first since manager.

the military seized power from Shinawatra when he was abroad in September 2006.

The PPP won the most votes but fell short of an outright parliamentary majority, leading to drawn-out coalition talks and several legal challenges.