Montague leaves Swansea after seven months

Richard Montague's first job in club football was at Notts County

Director of football Richard Montague has left Swansea City just seven months after he joined the Championship club.

Montague exited a similar role at League Two club Notts County to take up what is a key position at Swansea in February.

But Montague has now departed with the club stating the move came after "an internal review of our football operations".

The statement read: "The club has decided to move forward with a different approach ahead of the January transfer window."

Swansea will now operate with Adam Worth, their global head of recruitment and analytics taking charge of the recruitment team and strategy, while CEO Tom Gorringe will oversee contract negotiations.

Co-owners Brett Cravatt and Jason Cohen said:
"This was not a decision taken lightly, and we are extremely grateful for Richard's work during a busy summer transfer window.

"However, it is vital that everyone at the club is aligned with our shared strategy. We are confident in the team we have in place, both on and off the pitch, to continue driving the club forward."

When he arrived in Wales, Montague was reunited with Luke Williams, who he had worked with successfully at Notts County.

But with Swansea struggling for form, Williams lost his job as head coach just days after Montague's appointment was announced.

Sheehan was then placed in caretaker charge, with Montague leading the search for Williams' long-term successor.

Montague spoke to a number of potential candidates about the vacancy, but Swansea ended up appointing Sheehan on a three-year deal in late April after he oversaw a sharp upturn in form in the final stages of the season.

Swansea then enjoyed a successful summer, bringing in 12 new signings and spending more money than in any previous transfer window since their relegation from the Premier League in 2018.

The Swans said when Montague was appointed that he would "spearhead the club's recruitment strategy".

However, Sheehan has regularly praised Adam Worth, who was promoted to global head of analytics and recruitment at Swansea in April, for his contribution when discussing the club's transfer work with the media this summer.