Former Portsmouth Star Set To Join Premier League Giants

Former Portsmouth and Grimsby Town player Richard Hughes will leave his post as the technical director at Bournemouth to become Liverpool’s new sporting director, it has now been confirmed.

The Athletic broke the news earlier in March that the 44-year-old was set to join Liverpool after it was announced that he is stepping down from his position at the end of the season but the English giants have confirmed the arrival of Hughes, who will start in his role once the campaign concludes.

https://twitter.com/LFC/status/1770419740172816614

The Scot has had quite an unconventional pathway into football directorship, playing youth football for Italian side Atalanta before jumping ship as a teenager to Arsenal. Hughes spent the remainder of his career rotating clubs on the south coast at Bournemouth and Portsmouth before eventually hanging up his boots in 2014.

Upon retiring, Hughes landed a job in recruitment with the Cherries and was later appointed as the club’s technical director, a position he has held for a number of years, but will make the jump to Merseyside very soon.

Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group recently announced that Michael Edwards has returned to the organisation as the head of football. It is believed that Edwards is a big fan of Hughes and has been one of the primary catalysts behind his prospective appointment with the Reds.

Hughes will certainly have his work cut out for him as Liverpool’s head coach Jurgen Klopp is stepping down at the end of the season. The new sporting director will likely be tasked with preparing the recruitment team for the new manager’s arrival.

Writer’s View

Hughes initially met Edwards at Portsmouth during his playing career and now this will blossom into a working relationship at one of the world’s biggest clubs and potentially the Premier League champions by the time that he starts in his role.

The former Scotland international has done a fabulous job with Bournemouth, signing some gems like Dominic Solanke, Illia Zabarnyi, Alex Scott, Dango Ouattara and the rest. It’s this type of wise recruitment, with the possibility of a large profit margin, that Edwards loves the most while ensuring that the team can remain competitive.

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