Alex Horne, last year’s winner of the Accountancy Age Personality of the Year Award, has been made COO of the Football Association assuming many of the responsibilities of the chief executive Brian Barwick, who leaves his post at the end of the year.

Horne was finance director at the FA before joining Wembley Stadium where he resolved the crisis over the project’s funding and became managing director.

Commentators have described Horne as the new right hand man of Lord Triesman, the FA chairman who is described as being responsible for the departure of current CEO Barwick.

Horne was responsible for negotiating a new deal with Wembley’s builders Multiplex after a host of difficulties with the contractor had delayed completion of the venue.