Richard Hill to join Sunderland but Stewart Donald rejects suggestions of first team involvement

Hill was manager at Eastleigh from 2012-2015 before returning in February this year as caretaker manager and director of football.

However, Donald wrote on twitter that this would not be his role on Wearside.

He said: "He has joined the club in a specific role but no first team duties at all. That’s why we have our Jack!!! Welcome Jack Ross he is our man!!!"

Earlier this week, Donald said that recruitment would be driven by the manager.

Head of Recruitment Neale McDermott has since left the club.

Donald said: "He manager will recruit the players – that will be his call. We have a recruitment team and there will still be a recruitment team who works with him, but there will be no interference from Charlie [Methven] or I.

“It needs a cultural change. The standards have got to be really high when you go round the Academy of Light.

“If you’re a young footballer, or any kind of footballer, and you wander in there as a League One footballer, we’ve got to make sure people don’t think they’ve arrived and all their hard work is done.

Live Sunderland AFC news throughout the day “The standards that the football club should set, should be absolutely top drawer, it should be 100 per cent effort.

“They’ve got to get the culture, they’ve got to work hard, they’ve got to do everything right, and the manager has to set the tone for that.

“He cannot be somebody that will let them off with anything.

“If we want to win anything, especially now in League One, this will be the place where everybody, as soon as the fixtures are drawn out, (will ask) when are we playing Sunderland?

“They will come up here and, when we go there, it will be a big game.

Jack Ross: The inside story of how and why he became Sunderland's ideal manager for the years ahead“You are going to have to be strong and, if you are going to be that, the manager has to set the tone, so I am expecting to bring someone in who sets the standard right at the top and then make sure that the players understand what is expected of them, and get the right type of characters here.”

Having announced earlier today that Donald's sale of Eastleigh had been approved, the club confirmed Hill's departure.

A statement reads: "Eastleigh Football Club can confirm Richard Hill has left the football club by mutual consent.

"We would like to put on record our sincere gratitude to him for his hard work during all his time at the club.

"We wish him every success in the next chapter of his career."