On March 21, Liverpool officially announced that Richard Hughes was appointed as the club’s new sports director and will take office at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Richard Hughes, 44, has worked as a technical director in Bournemouth for 10 years and now leaves there to join Anfield. Hughes will officially take over this job on June 1 before the start of the 2024-25 season.
Edwards has just been appointed as the CEO of Fenway Group’s football affairs, and the two had met in the Portsmouth era.
Richard Hughes is a former Scottish national. He has made more than 300 appearances in his career, mainly in Portsmouth and Bournemouth as a midfielder.
Speaking of his new position in Liverpool, Hughes said: “I am very proud to have this opportunity. Liverpool is a unique club, and I am very happy to have the opportunity to serve it as a sports director.
People should talk about how rich the club has a proud history, but what really excites me is the present and the future. Klopp leads an excellent team, and at the same time, the commitment to young players and the system to keep them in the first team are also excellent.
“I am fully aware of the expectations and responsibilities of taking on this position. This will be my job. Working with Edwards, I will lead the football operation team that is already in place, and the staff of Ahnsa Training Center, and make the right decision.”
“This is really what this job needs: you have to make some good decisions to make the team win and make the fans excited. This is something that Liverpool has been doing for a long time, and everyone can see it.
The appointment of Hughes is the first major decision made since Edwards became the CEO of football affairs, and he will face a greater challenge next, which is to choose a good successor for Klopp’s departure.
Harvey Alonso is an important gossip target of the Red Army, and Richard Hughes can play a role in this. During his time at Bournemouth, he helped the team deal with coach Ilaura, whose agent was also Alonso’s agent and spokesperson.