The mortgage consultant, who returned to Jersey in 2017 after spending 12 years in Dubai, will take over from retiring incumbent Neville Davidson from 4 June.
Desbois, born and raised in the Island, played junior football for First Tower in the late 1980s before appearing for both Rozel Rovers and St Paul’s as a senior.
‘To do a job in sport and in particular football, which is a passion of mine, is something I’m really excited about,’ he said.
‘Having seen the change with the Centre of Excellence and how that’s grown over 12 years since I’ve been away – there have been a lot of improvements in a lot of areas.
‘My mandate is to develop football in Jersey further, and get more boys, girls, women and men playing. That’s an exciting challenge.
‘I can’t wait to get into the nitty-gritty, and also reconnect with people involved in local football again after so many years.’
JFA president Phil Austin MBE – believed to be considering the next move in ongoing negotiations with Uefa – said: ‘Jean-Luc’s passion for local football came through very clearly in the interview process and, allied to his strong business skills, we believe he is ideally suited to take on this challenging role.’
Davidson, who took charge at Springfield in May 2013, is due to leave the JFA on 8 June following a brief cross-over.
‘We’ve developed football to another level over the last five years, and I think Jean-Luc can take it even further,’ Davidson said.
Having seen the change with the Centre of Excellence and how that’s grown over 12 years since I’ve been away – there have been a lot of improvements in a lot of areas.
