Former Foreign Secretary David Miliband has been named non-executive vice chairman of Sunderland.
Black Cats chairman Niall Quinn confirmed last month talks had taken place with Miliband, who is MP for South Shields and an Arsenal fan, with reports at the time suggesting the role would carry a £50,000 salary.
Quinn said: "We are delighted and honoured to welcome David to Sunderland and I am certain he can bring an extra dimension to us as a club. He is already a great champion of our ethos of community involvement and will be a fabulous asset on this front."
He added: "His intelligence and ability to achieve fit perfectly with our vision for the future of this club and our aim to be strong and great for many years to come.
"Adding David to our board in a non-executive capacity provides us with someone who possesses a different spectrum in envisaging how the club can grow.
"As a former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with worldwide knowledge and links, he can also help us become better known around the world as we look to grow and develop the club on an international stage.
"His unique skills will certainly complement our highly talented existing board members whose areas of expertise include marketing and commercial, legal and finance."
Miliband lost out to his brother, Ed, in the battle to become Labour leader after the last year's general election.
He announced at the time he would be taking a break from front-line politics and the move into football has been seen by some as an attempt by the 45-year-old to soften his image.
Source: PA
