Malcolm Elias, the man responsible for developing Gareth Bale and Trent Alexander-Arnold, has died after a short illness.

Elias, Fulham’s head of academy recruitment, joined the Premier League club from Liverpool in 2009, having previously worked at Southampton.

In a statement, Fulham said: “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our colleague and dear friend, Malcolm Elias, after a short illness.

“The club’s head of academy recruitment, Malcolm had a fantastic reputation in football for unearthing and nurturing young talent.

“The influence that Malcolm had on the modern game cannot be understated, having worked with and developed the likes of Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harvey Elliott, Luke Harris and Jay Stansfield, to name but a few.”

Welshman Elias was born in 1953 and was key in the development of his compatriot Bale at the Southampton academy.

Bale went on to win 111 Wales caps and enjoyed a successful club career with Saints, Tottenham and Real Madrid, where he won five Champions League titles.

England’s Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, won eight major trophies with boyhood club Liverpool before joining Real Madrid earlier this month.

“We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Malcolm Elias, one of the influential figures in the club’s youth development history,” Southampton said.