Liverpool have brought Julian Ward back as sporting director after Richard Hughes’s departure. Ward held the role from June 2022 to May 2023, then resigned for personal reasons; he is now set to assist new manager Andoni Iraola as he seeks to rebuild the team.
Ward first joined Liverpool’s backroom staff in 2012 and later served as assistant to sporting director Michael Edwards. During his 2022–23 spell in the top job, he was responsible for negotiations involving Darwin Núñez, Luis Díaz, Cody Gakpo and Alexis Mac Allister. He returned to Liverpool and FSG as technical director in 2024.
Ward said he was grateful for the owners’ trust and had first-hand knowledge of the role from more than a decade in Liverpool’s football operation. FSG president Mike Gordon called him an ideal candidate, citing his experience in football and at Liverpool and the long-standing relationship.
