A week after quitting his post as performance director at the Rugby Football League former Wigan winger Joe Lydon has been made the manager of the England under 19 Rugby Union team.

A former England under-19 union player himself Lydon, 37, will be responsible for youth development and the setting up of feeder systems to identify and develop young talent.

still holder of the record for the longest drop goal in Rugby League history, Lydon turned to the 13-man code in 1982 with Widnes before moving to Wigan in a then world record £100,000 deal and went on to help the club win five Challenge Cups, three Premeirships, seven Championships and two World Club titles.

"I'm delighted to have been chosen for what will be a massive challenge for me and the sport, to develop and enhance the skills of young players in England," said Lydon.

"I'm confident that my background, which covers both codes of rugby, will stand me in good stead and I will spend the first three months of my new job travelling the country, meeting coaches within both the professional clubs and the constituent bodies to establish the most effective routes to identify and develop talented young players."

Lydon will help with the setting up of the RFU academy working closely with all national team managers and will report to the RFU's development director David Shaw, until a performance director is appointed.

"It was essential that we appointed someone with a proven track record of developing young players. Joe's experience within Rugby League will be invaluable for the RFU as it commits more of its resources to developing young players throughout the country. His knowledge of the academy process and his experience of working with elite players will prove to be a major asset for the union," said Shaw.

After hanging up his boots Lydon went on to work as the football manager at Wigan before taking up the position of technical director at the RFL in 1997 and then becoming the performance director a year later.

The RFU say the search for a performace director continues with some "oustanding" candidates having already been interviewed and that an announcement is expected soon.

Read our Joe Lydon Factfile