Soccer:Chelsea have appointed Ron Gourlay as chief executive to succeed Peter Kenyon, the Premier League club said today.

Gourlay, 46, has been with the west London club for five years in a variety of roles and was previously chief operating officer.

Before that, he had senior roles at Manchester United and sportswear maker Umbro.

"Ron was the outstanding candidate for the job," said chairman Bruce Buck. "It was not necessary to look outside as we had someone with all the necessary attributes inside which was important as it ensures continuity and a smooth transition.

"He has the total support of the board and Roman (Abramovich) and both the football and business elements of the club will report to him."

Chelsea said yesterday that Kenyon would leave his post on October 31st but continue to serve as a non-executive director and represent the club on various Uefa and European Clubs' Association committees.

"It is a huge honour to be offered the chance to lead Chelsea," said Gourlay. "We have a fantastic team both on and off the field and those teams can move us on to even greater success in the future.

"To be responsible for that is a fantastic challenge and I will be giving it my total commitment, drive and energy.

"All successful clubs strike the balance between the footballing and commercial sides and my role is to ensure this happens as it is a critical part of our strategy moving forward."