DEAN Holdsworth has returned to football as part of a takeover at Italian club Palermo.

The 50-year-old former Wanderers co-owner is working with the Sport Capital Group, who completed a deal to buy the Sicilian Serie B outfit on December 29.

Holdsworth has been working in an advisory capacity during the takeover but has now been appointed as director of football operations – a role which will expand beyond Palermo if plans to purchase other European clubs are successful.

Speaking at his first press conference, Holdsworth said: “The ambition for US Citta di Palermo is very exciting and challenging. Despite the past off the field problems, the coach, the staff and players have been doing very well, having had discussions with the coach, we aim to support him and the players as much as possible in our bid for promotion to Serie A.

“We have been around the city in the past six weeks, it’s very clear that fans are passionate and want nothing more than success and stability for the club.

“We hope that under the new ownership, the fans will return in their numbers and support the club and team, starting with the next home game."

The former Wimbledon and Brentford striker completed a takeover at Wanderers alongside Ken Anderson in March 2016, pulling the club back from the brink of administration.

It proved an unhappy homecoming for the one-time club record signing, however, as just 17 months later he resigned as a director following a series of highly-publicised fall-outs with Anderson and the liquidation his Sports Shield BWFC company.

Since leaving Wanderers he looked into takeovers at a handful of non-league clubs, including Worcester City.