Stoke City: Ricky Martin sacked as technical director as Jon Walters takes over

Ricky Martin was appointed Stoke City technical director in November 2022

Stoke City have sacked Ricky Martin as technical director after 15 months in the job at the Bet365 Stadium.

Former player Jon Walters will take over the role "on an interim basis until further notice".

Stoke chairman John Coates said: "With results having fallen significantly short of our ambitions during the current season, we believe it is essential to take on a new direction."

Stoke are 19th in the Championship, three points above the relegation zone.

Former West Ham United academy boss Martin was appointed in November 2022, two months after Alex Neil had come in as the Potters' new manager.

But, after finishing 16th last season, Stoke have struggled again.

Neil was sacked in December, since when Steven Schumacher has so far also failed to turn things round, winning only three of 11 Championship games to date.

Since the end of last season, Stoke have made 25 new signings - and the Potters fans have voiced frustration at Martin in particular.

Coates added: "Ricky has worked tirelessly in his attempts to bring success to Stoke City, and I am appreciative of his hard work and dedication.

"Jonathan is ideally suited to the interim role and I'm thankful to him for stepping in to support a club I know is close to his heart, at this time.

"We will run a full and robust recruitment process with immediate effect."

Liverpudlian Walters, 40, scored 62 goals in 269 appearances for the Potters between 2010 and 2017, before the former Chester, Wrexham and Ipswich Town striker retired from football at Burnley in March 2019.

Mmaee sidelined by knee injury

Stoke striker Ryan Mmaee is expected to be ruled out of action for three to four weeks after sustaining a new knee injury.

The Potters forward had already been sidelined from first-team duty for disciplinary reasons - but he is now believed to have picked up the injury while playing for the Potters' under-21s in Premier League 2.

Boss Schumacher will now have to wait even longer before reintroducing the 26-year-old summer signing back into the first-team fold.

Poor results and player issues - analysis

BBC Radio Stoke's Phil Bowers

"Ricky Martin was brought in by the previous manager Alex Neil, so that he could concentrate on coaching the first team, while Martin would concentrate on the overall football operation, taking on responsibility for the academy, the women's team and, crucially, recruitment.

"That is where he has taken the majority of criticism from supporters. He oversaw 19 new signings in the summer, in what was supposed to be a bit of a watershed for Stoke, finally free of profit and sustainability regulations.

"He and head of recruitment Jarrod Dublin signed players from all over the world - from South Korea, Switzerland, Morocco and Algeria - but Stoke's poor results this season led to Neil's sacking in December and then the appointment of Steven Schumacher as head coach.

"And Schumacher has had issues with several of the players brought in including one of the summer signings Ryan Mmaee, who he has left out of the squad for disciplinary reasons, which has led to further criticism of the recruitment policy."