Paul Hart has played and managed at all levels during a career in which he has established a reputation for developing young talent.

The former Leeds, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday centre half recently took charge at both Portsmouth and QPR, before moving to Selhurst Park.

After early experience in management with Chesterfield, where he led the club to the play-offs, Paul went into youth coaching with Forest and then Leeds. At Elland Road, his youngsters won the FA Youth Cup on two occasions.

With players like Jonathan Woodgate emerging from their ranks, Hart's protégés underpinned the Leeds side that reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2001.

He then took on a similar undertaking at Forest, grooming emerging talents including Jermaine Jenas, Andy Reid and Michael Dawson.

Hart was promoted to manager at the City Ground in 2001. Despite the club's mounting financial problems, he took Forest into the Division One play-offs in 2003, culminating in a narrow semi-final defeat to Sheffield United.

But with players having to be sold, Forest struggled the following season and Hart departed in February, 2004. He was briefly in charge of Barnsley, putting in place most of the side that his successor, Andy Ritchie, steered to promotion from the third tier.

Previously, Hart moved to Fratton Park in 2007 as Director of Youth Operations following outstanding success in similar roles with Leeds and Forest.

He took over as caretaker manager in February 2009 where he continued to the end of the season, leading Portsmouth to Premier League safety. Hart and Portsmouth then parted ways in November 2009 having worked under severe financial restraints over the uncertainty of club's ownership which left them on the verge of going into administration. Despite these constraints he still had led the club to the quarter finals of the Carling Cup.

Paul, who also had a short spell as boss of Rushden and Diamonds, is the son of a former player and manager in Johnny Hart.

More recently Paul managed QPR, Crystal Palace and Swindon Town as well served as the Academy Director of Charlton Athletic.

He made his debut at 17 for Stockport in a career that also embraced Blackpool, Birmingham and Notts County.

He is a graduate of the LMA's Certificate of Applied Management at Warwick University.