Julian Ward Set for Liverpool Return as Sporting Director
Liverpool are preparing to turn to a familiar figure as they continue reshaping their football operation, with Julian Ward expected to become the club’s new sporting director.
According to The Athletic, Ward has emerged as Fenway Sports Group’s preferred candidate to replace Richard Hughes, who officially left Liverpool on September 5 before joining Al Hilal.
There is an obvious logic here. Liverpool have experienced considerable change at executive level, and appointing somebody who already understands the machinery of the club reduces one element of uncertainty.
Ward Offers Liverpool Valuable Continuity
Ward, 45, has already spent 13 years working for Liverpool across two spells and previously served as sporting director during the 2022-23 campaign.
His history with the club stretches back to 2012, when he arrived from Manchester City as European scouting manager for Spain and Portugal. He subsequently worked on loan pathways and football partnerships before becoming assistant sporting director in 2020.
Ward eventually succeeded Michael Edwards in 2022.
His first spell as sporting director included involvement in deals for Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo. Even after his planned departure in 2023, Ward remained long enough to help complete Liverpool’s signing of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton.
That CV matters because Liverpool are not looking for somebody who needs months to understand how FSG operates.
FSG Changes Make Appointment Significant
Ward returned to the organisation as FSG technical director in 2024, shortly after Edwards came back to the club.
The original intention was for Ward to have responsibilities connected with another football club that FSG planned to acquire. Those multi-club ambitions were subsequently shelved, leaving Ward already inside the organisation when Liverpool suddenly required another sporting director.
Timing, sometimes, decides these appointments as much as long-term planning.
Edwards stepped down as FSG’s CEO of football in July, while Hughes has departed along with recruitment figures Mark Burchill and Craig McKee.
Iraola Era Creates Different Sporting Structure
Perhaps the most interesting element concerns Andoni Iraola.
Ward’s previous stint as sporting director came during the Jürgen Klopp era, when Liverpool operated with a manager whose influence extended deeply into football operations.
Liverpool now have a head coach structure.
That should provide clearer responsibilities between recruitment, contracts, squad planning and coaching.
The Athletic notes that FSG president Mike Gordon, who is overseeing the search, has considerable respect for Ward. That relationship could prove particularly valuable during a period when Liverpool’s hierarchy is being reconstructed.
Ward already knows Liverpool, FSG and the transfer market. He also understands the pressures attached to the sporting director position.
Sometimes familiarity can be mistaken for a lack of ambition. In Liverpool’s current circumstances, familiarity might be precisely what allows the club to move forward quickly.
Our View – Anfield Index Analysis
From a Liverpool supporter’s perspective, this feels like one of those appointments that becomes more interesting the longer you consider it.
Julian Ward knows the club inside out. He knows FSG, understands Liverpool’s recruitment structures and already has experience negotiating major transfers and contracts. With Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes gone, there is considerable value in having somebody around who does not require an introductory course on how Liverpool operate.
There is also unfinished business.
Ward’s previous spell as sporting director was remarkably short, and he worked within a structure heavily influenced by Jürgen Klopp. Liverpool in 2026 looks very different.
Andoni Iraola has arrived as head coach, and that terminology matters. Liverpool should now have a clearer separation between coaching the team and building the squad.
For supporters, attention will inevitably turn towards transfers. Ward was involved during a period that brought Diaz, Nunez, Gakpo and Mac Allister to Anfield. There were successes and disappointments within that recruitment cycle, so nobody should view his return through rose-tinted glasses.
What intrigues me is the potential relationship between Ward and Iraola.
If Liverpool can create genuine alignment between sporting director, recruitment department and head coach, Ward’s knowledge of the club could become enormously useful.
Liverpool have changed significantly behind the scenes in a matter of months. Stability now has considerable value, and Ward represents something increasingly rare at Anfield, institutional knowledge.
