At Anfield, Liverpool have turned to a familiar figure as the club reshapes its football leadership. Julian Ward, 45, has been appointed sporting director following Richard Hughes’s departure for Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.
Ward returns to a position he previously held during the 2022-23 season, after most recently working as technical director for Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool’s owners. His appointment places him back at the centre of recruitment, player planning and the wider sporting operation at a time of continued executive change on Merseyside.
FSG chairman Mike Gordon said Ward’s knowledge and experience would strengthen the club’s football department and ensure that head coach Andoni Iraola has the backing required to continue the positive impression he has made.
Ward described the new assignment as an important moment for Liverpool, with change and opportunity arriving together while the club’s established culture, values and principles remain intact. He first joined Liverpool in 2012 and worked across scouting, recruitment and player-development strategy before rising through the club’s sporting structure.
Hughes’s exit is the latest in a run of senior departures around Liverpool and FSG. Michael Edwards had already left his role as FSG’s chief executive of football, leaving Ward’s return to provide another experienced internal hand during a period of transition.
