SPORTS Direct has appointed its first employee representative.

The company, which has been blighted by uproar over its working conditions, says Alex Balacki will attend board meetings.

The appointment of Mr Balacki follows a tumultuous 2016 for the retailer, which included its billionaire chief executive, Mike Ashley, who owns Newcastle United, being hauled before MPs to be grilled over so-called Victorian working conditions.

The firm's warehouse in Derbyshire also came under fierce criticism, with chief executive Dave Forsey then quitting the group, only to be replaced by Mr Ashley.

However, the Unite union has claimed Mr Balacki will face an uphill struggle to have workers’ concerns heard and to resolve the deep-rooted problems across the business.

Mr Balacki is a store manager who has been with the company for 13 years.

He will begin his 12-month role as an employee representative later this spring.

In a letter to staff, Mr Ashley said: “I'd like to be the first to congratulate Alex, who will help us to continue to make a positive difference by ensuring that your voice is heard in the boardroom.

“I have said many times that this is a company that was built by the great people who work here.

“I am therefore delighted the people at Sports Direct have voted to choose the company’s first UK elected workers’ representative."

Mr Balacki said he was "very proud" to have been picked by staff ahead of two rival candidates.

He said: "It's now my role to ensure the people of Sports Direct are heard."

However, Luke Primarolo, Unite’s officer leading the union’s campaign at Sports Direct, said Mr Balacki will have a job on his hands.

He added: “Unite wishes the newest member of the Sports Direct board well and urge that he makes one of his first acts to persuade the company that agency workers on insecure hire-and-fire contracts are offered permanent appointments.

“We sincerely hope the new board member will take up our invitation to meet. 

"As a company appointee he faces an uphill struggle to convince the workforce that he will be their eyes and ears in the boardroom. 

“If the company is to go down the route of workers on the board, then they should be elected in an open and transparent process.”