Former Sweden international Erik Edman has hailed Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin for his ability to source, develop and sell players.
Capped 57 times by Sweden, former Tottenham Hotspur defender Edman is set to join Thelin’s scouting team.
Edman is currently head coach of Swedish lower league Hittarps and is a scout for Helsingborgs.
The 46-year-old has previously worked as a sporting director at Swedish second-tier club Landskrona.
Hittarps club manager Fredrik Dupont has confirmed to Swedish media Edman will be leaving the club to take up a new role at Pittodrie as part of Thelin’s staff.
Thelin has further expanded his scouting network as he bids to strengthen the squad in the summer transfer window alongside head of recruitment Nuno de Almeida.
Edman has played in two World Cups
Former left-back Edman, who also works as a football pundit on Swedish television, will continue to work with Hittarps until the summer.
It is understood there had been interest from other clubs in securing Edman’s services as a scout.
During his playing career, Edman played in two World Cup finals (2002, 2006) and Euro 2004.
He is well aware of Thelin’s impressive track record during his time as manager of Elfsborg in the Swedish top-flight.
Thelin twice led Elfsborg to runners-up finishes in the Allsvenskan, most recently in the season before he moved to Aberdeen.
Edman recently told his former club Tottenham’s official website: “The man who really developed Elfsborg into the team we see today is Jimmy Thelin, who is now the head coach of Aberdeen.
“He laid down the foundations and turned things around to create a positive future there – selling players and developing players.
“He did an amazing job.”
Edman was born and raised in the same city in the south of Sweden as Aberdeen gaffer Thelin.
They were both born in Jonkoping in 1979, with Thelin six months older.
The new Dons scout’s playing career began and ended at Helsingborgs IF.
He won two league titles with Helsingborgs and three Swedish Cups.
Sensational goal against Liverpool
He had spells at Torino (Italy), Karlsruher (Germany), AIK (Sweden) and Heerenveen (Netherlands), before signing for Tottenham in 2004.
During the 2004/05 season, Edman made 34 appearances for Spurs.
He is best remembered during his time at Tottenham for a stunning 41- yard goal against Liverpool at Anfield in April 2005.
On that goal, Edman said: “To have scored at Anfield adds to the significance of that goal.
“I can’t really remember what went through my head before I hit the shot.
“I think Robbie (Keane) was screaming for the ball as I received it from a corner.
“But I decided to take the shot and it flew into the back of the net, so Robbie was happy then anyway!”
In August 2006, Edman signed with French club Rennes on a three-year deal.
He would then sign with Wigan Athletic for £500,000 in 2008, where he spent two years.
Edman returned to Helsingborgs in 2010, where he played out the final three years of his career.
Major tournaments with Sweden
At international level, Edman played in all three of Sweden’s group games at Euro 2004.
Sweden reached the quarter-finals where they lost out to Netherlands in a penalty shoot-out.
At the 2006 World Cup, he featured in the group games as Sweden finished second behind England to qualify for the knock-out phase.
Edman started the 2-2 group draw with England, where Celtic legend Henrik Larsson scoring a 90th-minute leveller.
In the last-16, Edman also started in a 2-0 loss to Germany.
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