Michael Edwards: Liverpool sporting director to leave Liverpool at end of season
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Michael Edwards, left, has been credited with overseeing some of Liverpool's biggest transfer successes in recent years
Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards will leave the club at the end of the season.
The 42-year-old has been at the Reds for a decade and is credited with being a key figure in their successful recruitment in recent years.
Assistant sporting directing Julian Ward will replace Edwards following his departure.
"I had always planned to cap my time at the club to a max of 10 years," said Edwards.
He added: "I've loved working here, but I am a big believer in change. I think it's good for the individual and, in a work setting, good for the employer too."
Edwards became sporting director in 2016 and during his time in the role Liverpool brought in a number of key players, including goalkeeper Alisson, defender Virgil van Dijk and forward Mohamed Salah.
The Reds say he and his team played "a pivotal role" in helping Jurgen Klopp's side enjoy success on the pitch.
Liverpool ended a 30-year wait for a league title in 2019-20 and also reached successive Champions League finals from 2018, winning a sixth European Cup in 2019.
"To be part of this club during this period has been a privilege, due to the people I have been fortunate enough to work with and the success we have enjoyed," Edwards added.
Newcastle had been linked with taking Edwards in a director of football role, but new manager Eddie Howe said: "As far as I know, absolutely not.
'I know nothing about Michael Edwards' future. He's someone who I hugely respect in the game and what he does - and what he's done for Liverpool."
Aintree-born Ward's playing career saw him play in midfield for, among others, Morecambe, Southport and Hyde United, and also for Irish League clubs Larne and Lisburn Distillery while he was a student at the University of Ulster Jordanstown in Northern Ireland.
The 40-year-old studied Sports Science at John Moores University, became a performance analyst for the Football Association in 2001 and joined the industry-changing ProZone a year later.
Ward subsequently headed up analysis and technical scouting for Portugal's Football Federation, then became Manchester City's scouting strategisr from 2010 to 2012.
A move to Liverpool, where he was put in charge of scouting in Spain and Portugal, followed, and in 2015 he became head of loan pathways and football partnerships.
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