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Michael Edwards has brought back former Liverpool sporting director Julian Ward as Fenway Sports Group’s (FSG) new technical director.

Ward has been convinced to return to the fold a year after stepping down to take a break from football.

Edwards, who took on the role of FSG’s CEO of football in March to oversee the post Jurgen Klopp era, has also appointed Benfica’s Pedro Marques as director of football development.

A new football executive has been created by Edwards with Richard Hughes arriving from Bournemouth as sporting director and David Woodfine returning to the club as Hughes’ assistant.

Feyenoord manager Arne Slot is set to be confirmed as Klopp’s successor following an extensive search.

Ward will be tasked with overseeing player development across FSG’s football operations.

His wide range of responsibilities will include oversight of Liverpool’s academy, FSG’s loan department, group wide elite player development strategies and the establishment of FSG’s new football innovation department.

Marques has been named as FSG’s new director of football development (Photo By Sam Barnes/Sportsfile for Web Summit via Getty Images)

He will also preside over the management of football operations at any club added to FSG’s stable as the American owners look to establish a multi-club model.

Hughes’ role will see him oversee the coaching, recruitment, negotiations, medical and sports science operations, along with the administrative and facilities management at the Kirkby training complex.

Hughes and Ward, who will both report to Edwards, will be tasked with ensuring that academy graduates and young players acquired from across the globe remain a vital source of first-team talent.

Ward initially joined Liverpool from Manchester City in 2012 as their European scouting manager for Spain and Portugal.

In 2020 he was promoted to the role of assistant sporting director and then got the top job when Edwards decided to step down in the summer of 2022.

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Since leaving Liverpool last May to spend more time with his family, Ward has turned down a number of job offers from clubs across Europe, but the chance to work with Edwards again, combined with the scale and ambition of FSG’s burgeoning football operations, convinced him to accept this opportunity.

Marques, who will report to Ward, is regarded by Edwards as an industry leading expert in player development, career pathways, coaching methodologies and performance analysis.

He has previously worked for Sporting Lisbon, Manchester City, City Football Group and, most recently, Benfica where he was technical director.

Marques’ role included overseeing youth player development and their transition to first-team football, leading on coaching recruitment and overseeing a youth structure comprising of 39 teams and around 600 players.

Ruben Dias, Joao Felix, Goncalo Ramos, Antonio Silva and Joao Neves were among those to make the leap to Benfica’s first team.

Edwards believes the experience and expertise of Marques makes him an ideal fit for FSG’s expanding football operations.

Both Marques and Ward will start their new roles on June 1.

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(Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)


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