Avram Grant has been appointed as the new director of football at Portsmouth, the club have confirmed.

The 54-year-old Israeli returns to Fratton Park having occupied the same role from 2006 to 2007 before succeeding Jose Mourinho as manager of Chelsea.

It is the first significant move since Ali Al Faraj completed his 90 per cent buy-out of the club from Sulaiman Al Fahim earlier this week.

Grant, who took Chelsea to the 2008 Champions League final, will work alongside manager Paul Hart as the club aim to climb off the bottom of the Premier League with just one win from eight games so far.

Grant has also worked as coach of the Israel national team.

He was one penalty kick away from leading Chelsea to Champions League glory as the Blues lost to Manchester United in Moscow and he was replaced soon afterwards by Luiz Felipe Scolari.

It is expected that Grant will work with Hart on player recruitment at the south coast club, who were bought by Saudi property tycoon Al Faraj earlier this week after a brief, tumultuous period under the stewardship of Al Fahim.

The club lost their opening seven matches in a row and that was compounded by matters off the pitch when there was a delay in the payment of September's wages to club staff.