Ліверпуль очікує призначення Джуліана Ворда новим спортивним директором

Julian Ward could soon return as Liverpool's sporting director. The management of the club has come close to completing the process of choosing the successor of Richard Hughes, who left the team at the beginning of September. According to insider sources journalist David Ornshtein, Ward became the priority candidate of the owners of Liverpool. The 45-year-old official currently works as the technical director of Fenway Sports Group, which owns the club. This could be Ward's second spell as Liverpool's sporting director. He first took charge in the 2022/23 season before leaving the club, although he stayed on in the summer of 2023 to help complete Alexis McAllister's move from Brighton. До структури Ліверпуля Ворд приєднався у 2012 році, перейшовши з Манчестер Сіті. He was initially responsible for European scouting in Spain and Portugal, and later on loan transfers and football partnerships. In 2020, Ward became the assistant athletic director and worked alongside Michael Edwards. After being named athletic director, Ward was involved in the signings of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo. In 2024, he returned to Fenway Sports Group as Technical Director, where he focused on player development, football pathways and academy operations. Ward's possible return will come amid major changes in Liverpool's structure. Richard Hughes left the club on 5 September to join Al Hilal, while Michael Edwards stepped down as FSG's chief football officer in July. Also, representatives of the recruiting department, Mark Burchill and Craig McKee, left Liverpool, who later moved to Al-Hilal.