Gillett said: "Tom and I felt that it was important to put a highly experienced and respected executive in place to run the club and support the senior team and the manager.

"There's a lot to get done over the summer to build on the great season we just had and Christian will be a valuable addition to the team."

Hicks added: "Christian has been a great supporter of the club for many years and he's already built up good relationships at Anfield.

"His strategic and commercial acumen will be a real asset and we're delighted that he has made a long term commitment to the club."

Purslow, a long time Anfield season ticket holder, is an executive board member of MidOcean Partners, a private equity firm which he co-founded.

He was previously a director of Morgan Grenfell Private Equity.

Prior to his private equity career Christian was head of media, cable and entertainment for Schroder Salomon Smith Barney in Europe and head of UK mergers and acquisitions for Credit Suisse First Boston.

Purslow has a modern Languages degree from Cambridge University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Executive search firm Odgers Berndtson is conducting the CEO recruitment process.