Liverpool have officially confirmed the return of Julian Ward as the club’s sporting director, with the 45-year-old taking up the position immediately. He replaces Richard Hughes, who left Liverpool earlier this month to become sporting director of Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal.
Ward is returning to the role for a second spell. He previously served as Liverpool’s sporting director during the 2022/23 season after succeeding Michael Edwards. Before that, he had worked his way through Liverpool’s recruitment structure after joining the club in 2012.
His career with Liverpool has included work in scouting, recruitment, loan management and player development. Before joining Liverpool, Ward worked in football with Manchester City and the Portugal national team.
During his first spell as sporting director, Ward was involved in Liverpool’s recruitment of players including Darwin Núñez, Cody Gakpo and Alexis Mac Allister, while he had also been involved in the process that brought Luis Díaz to Anfield when he was working alongside Michael Edwards.
After leaving the sporting-director position, Ward returned to work for Fenway Sports Group as technical director in 2024. His responsibilities included player-development pathways and academy-related work. His familiarity with Liverpool and FSG ultimately made him the club’s choice to replace Hughes.
Ward now returns at a significant time for Liverpool. Among the issues facing the sporting department are contract situations involving Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker, as well as longer-term squad planning and future recruitment.
FSG president Mike Gordon said the club was delighted to have Ward take over leadership of the football operations department, highlighting his extensive experience within the football industry and his long-standing knowledge of Liverpool.
In summary: Liverpool have opted for a familiar face by bringing Julian Ward back into the sporting-director role. His immediate focus will include working with head coach Andoni Iraola, managing recruitment plans and dealing with important contract decisions as Liverpool plan for upcoming transfer windows.
