Following Richard Hughes’ departure, the position of director of football at Liverpool FC remained vacant for just under 20 days. The new man in the role is a familiar face.
Following the departure of Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes at the start of the month, the Reds were on the hunt for a successor – and have found one within their own ranks. Julian Ward will take up the role with immediate effect, a position he previously held between 2022 and 2023. The club announced this on Saturday afternoon.
Ward had been with the club for many years, since 2012. He started out as a scout, then from 2020 as assistant to the then director of football, Michael Edwards. Two years later, he took over as director of football, but stepped down a year later in a surprise resignation. Even before his promotion in 2022, however, he had already played a key role in securing the transfers of Darwin and Luis Díaz to Liverpool. At the end of the 2022/23 season, LFC finished fifth under Jürgen Klopp.
Since 2024, the 45-year-old has served as Technical Director for the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG). “The knowledge and expertise he brings will further strengthen our football operations whilst ensuring that Andoni Iraola receives the support he needs to continue making such a positive impact as head coach,” said FSG Chairman Mike Gordon, praising the new sporting director in the club’s statement.
Transfers worth over 100 million euros under Hughes
Ward now takes charge of a team that signed another player, Bradley Barcola, for well over 100 million euros this summer. Under Hughes, players such as Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitiké also joined the Reds for a total of over 350 million euros. These are the kinds of investments intended to take the club back to the top of the Premier League and world football following their 2025 league title win.
“Having been part of the football operation at Liverpool for more than a decade, I am fully aware of the challenges this role entails and know them first-hand; I also have a clear understanding of the demands and ambitions of this great club,” says Ward himself, reflecting on his new role.
