Liverpool rehire Julian Ward as sporting director to replace Richard Hughes

Liverpool have appointed Julian Ward as their sporting director for a second time following the departure of Richard Hughes to Al-Hilal.

Ward, who was Liverpool’s sporting director for one season in 2022-23, has returned to the role after spending the past two years as technical director for Fenway Sports Group, the club’s owners.

The swift process of finding a successor to Hughes, who left for the Saudi Pro League after two and a half years at Anfield when the summer transfer window ended, was led by the FSG president, Mike Gordon.

Ward has worked in various capacities for Liverpool over the past 14 years, including European scouting manager, assistant sporting director and sporting director.

His appointment offers continuity at a time of upheaval in the Liverpool hierarchy with Hughes and Michael Edwards, the former chief executive of football at FSG, exiting this year and the owners in the process of selling a 38% stake in the club to 1892 Holdings for £2bn. The consortium, fronted by Amit Bhatia and including the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has an option for a full takeover should FSG decide to sell up.

The 45-year-old Ward replaced Edwards as sporting director in 2022 but told FSG he wished to step away for personal reasons only months into the role. Luis Díaz, Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Núñez were signed during Ward’s first spell although the then manager Jürgen Klopp had a greater say on transfers after Edwards left.

Ward remained highly regarded by FSG, however, and Gordon, who had resumed the day-to-day running of Liverpool after Hughes’s departure, considers his extensive knowledge of the club and of squad planning as invaluable. As FSG’s technical director, Ward had oversight of the global talent strategy that has seen Liverpool sign several highly rated young prospects this year.

Liverpool’s new sporting director will lead the club’s football operation alongside the assistant sporting director David Woodfine, chief scout Barry Hunter, FSG’s director of football development Pedro Marques and Andoni Iraola’s senior leadership team.