Derek Langley departed as head of recruitment after 16 years in the position. John Murtough started out as a sports scientist at Everton under former Manchester United manager David Moyes. Murtough has preferred to keep a low profile in public too his first official photograph only came when posing with technical director Darren Fletcher next to Uniteds club crest upon their appointments last March. While Murtough doesn't have the same background in the professional ranks as ex-United stars Evra, Ferdinand or Van der Sar, he does boast 23 years of experience within the game. 'Its a privilege to be part of that process, and an honour to lead Manchester Uniteds football department, working alongside Ole, Casey [Stoney, women's team manager] and so many other truly outstanding staff all dedicated to delivering success to this club.'. Time will tell if signing teenage prospects Hannibal Mejbri and Amad in deals worth a combined 47 million can be regarded as money well spent, but Murtough played a crucial role in both deals. John Murtough (left) has been named as football director at Manchester United, while Darren Fletcher has been promoted to technical director - credit Manchester United Manchester United have. Now, lets just make sure he plays as much as possible before the end of the season, scores as many goals as he can, helps the young players - the strikers, the forwards, even the rest of the group with his mentality then he will make his decision. He previously served as the Premier Leagues head of elite performance before. Murtough was born in Longsight, Manchester and went to school in Cheetham Hill and Gorton. Everton had moved to a new training ground at Finch Farm, with their academy and first team housed on the same site, and Moyes wanted someone to bring the whole operation together and also add to the clubs European recruitment network. Overseen by Murtough, United pumped extra money into their academy having fallen behind Manchester City at attracting local talent. What happens when a clubs CEO meets angry supporters? United have signed several talented youngsters in recent years with Murtough believed to be involved. Coupled with Woodwards underwhelming transfer policies in recent years, his fate was sealed. overhaul of the academy and recruitment department, with the latter now focusing on buying younger players rather than vast sums on experienced talent. The 37-year-oldwill also work on the link between Uniteds academy and its first team while focusing on a long-term approach to player and squad development. The focus now is on signing young players of enormous potential. It is this strategy that United believe has helped them edge closer and closer to the top of the Premier League table over the past two years, and the hope now, of course, is that Murtough and Fletcher will prove the final pieces of the puzzle. Many of the issues that the German faced at United will also be faced by the new manager Ten Hag, however with some background changes already implemented it appears that some mistakes are being rectified. Murtough would only become involved in this regard if there was disagreement between the two. This is the kind of prudence that was missing during Woodwards tenure. Manchester United made headlines last month when the Premier League giants were the latest to adopt the director of football model which has risen to popularity over the past decade. John Murtaugh | Defenders of Wildlife Last July, he faced criticism over the womens team, however, with complaints about training conditions and lack of clarity over a new manager. John has been integral to our progress in these areas and his deep understanding of development ensures the clubs traditions of bringing young players through from Academy to first team will continue. Rangnick was brought to United by Murtough in order to transform the teams fortunes after the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, however things began to unravel pretty quickly to the point where the two were not even speaking to each other. The club's global scouting and recruitment team will now report to Murtough, who will head up the football operations. We have already made great strides forward in the way we run our football operations, and the benefits are visible in the resurgent pipeline of Academy talent reaching the first team and through our improved recruitment record. For starters, it is not like John Murtough is a nobody. United also on Wednesday appointed their former midfielder Darren Fletcher to the post of technical director, another new position at the club. All rights reserved. He arranged that trip through Paul Mitchell, then Leipzigs head of recruitment and now Monaco sporting director. But one industry insider asks: Is the system too complex to make quick, agile decisions?. While Murtough has been well regarded for his work in the academy, his failure to sign Jude Bellingham hasn't gone unnoticed, and the newly appointed director of footballis to compete and beat the best sporting directors in Europe to signings who can re-establish Man United as champions, rather than merely a Champions League qualifiers. Ex-Premier League head of elite performance known as the "fixer" was appointed as the first-ever Manchester United director of football. Paul McGuinness, son of former United manager Wilf, also left in that period following 23 years on staff, his final role being under-18s manager. In a 23-year career, Murtough has previously been the Premier Leagues head of elite performance, and had senior academy and development roles at other clubs. 2021. He becomes the first official Football Director at United after being promoted from his previous position as the club's head of football development but who is Murtough and what experience has he had before being given this new role? John Murtough. You'll also receive plenty of tips and info outside of Cheltenham too after all, the Grand National isn't far away either. West Palm Beach man warns of online security scammers that robbed him It remains to be seen what form Rangnicks two-year consultancy takes and how involved he will be in conversations to select his successor as manager. He was a sports scientist at Everton during the time of David Moyes, before serving as the Premier Leagues Head of Elite Performance. The brainchild of Ged Roddy, the Premier Leagues then director of youth, EPPP changed the terrain of youth development in 2012 by bringing in a set of criteria to rank academies from category one to four. He would speak to the likes of Brian McClair, then the clubs academy manager, to try to get a grip of the United landscape post-Ferguson. United have appointed Andy OBoyle as the Deputy Director of Football. He produced clean, legible documents and, in a small way, brought a sense of order. Manchester United's inaugural football director profiled, John Murtough has been named Man Utd's new football director with Darren Fletcher becoming technical director, Murtough previously worked at Everton under David Moyes before a stint working for the Premier League, Murtough first joined Man Utd when David Moyes got the job in 2013, Ed Woodward will now be less heavily involved in transfer business at Man Utd, The night Cristiano Ronaldo "disappointed" Sir Alex Ferguson and cost himself Ballon d'Or, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has already warned AC Milan about Man Utd difference maker. Who is John Murtough? Meet Manchester United's new director - Extra.ie But why now? Jim Lawlor, Mick Court and Marcel Bout all hold top-ranking scouting roles three figures from different eras at United. That year, he hired Steve Brown to the scouting department after they had worked at Everton together. While the current West Ham boss' tenure was short-lived, Murtough stayed at the club, donning a variety of roles in the club hierarchy. United emerged from the January window having trimmed a bloated squad but made no new signings. Manchester United always tend to make the news when its transfers time. Fletcher gives support as technical director, taking part in video-call interviews of managerial candidates after Solskjaers dismissal, although some sources believe his role requires more definition. Despite a hectic pre-season in 2019, Murtough found time to fly to Tromso, in the arctic circle, to scout another youth recruit. John Murtough is the new Football Director alongside Darren Fletcher as Technical Director (Image: Getty) In addition, Fletcher has said that he is delighted to be taking on his new role as Technical Director, and he will be working closely with Murtough in all football and performance areas. In fact, after it was announced on Wednesday that Murtough had been appointedthe club's first ever 'Football Director', many outsiders were simply wondering who he was let alone why he'd been chosen to fill such an important position. United are no longer targeting expensive superstars. Murtough has been playing the long game to not give into player or agents demands. The club have also handed the role of director of football negotiationsto Matt Judge, and he will negotiate transfer deals and contract renewals. Manchester United football director John Murtough says a "thorough process" is under way to find their next permanent manager as the club looks to start challenging for "top trophies" again. You can read more about cookie policy in our, most interesting facts about Hannibal Mejbri. A meeting between Woodward and Murtough sealed the deal. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. OBoyle is a former academy coach, who was most recently Head of Elite Performance with the Premier League. The United board tapped Richard Arnold as the next CEO, and this was just the start. The transfer market is a notoriously tricky field but with these long overdue appointments, United have, at the very least, taken another important step forward on a journey they hope eventually ends in Premier League glory. John Murtough has been appointed Man United first-ever director, who will provide day-to-day assistance to club manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. John Murtough meets Erik ten Hag to discuss Manchester United grand David Moyes worked with John Murtough when the two were at Everton together. He stepped into the world on November 24, 1970. Who is John Murtough? Transfer business will remain driven by Solskjr and the clubs recruitment department, each of which have a veto. Follow Tifo Football on Twitter @TifoFootball_. Manchester United's decision to make John Murtough their first football director surprised many but the club's former Head of Development has played a key role in improving the club's academy . Coleman, who led Wales to the Euro 2016 semi-finals and is now managing Atromitos in the Greek top flight, tells The Athletic: (Murtough was) easily one of my better signings since Ive been a manager. Murtough has been termed as an influence in the Red Devils signing Hannibal Mejbri andIsak Hansen-Aaroen for the academy and many signings in the women's team. Reports, Karl Stefanovic has unloaded on Australias crime problem after a teenage boy, Gardening and regular walks could lower the risk of developing breast cancer,, Karlie Kloss is expecting her second child. One of the principal external criticisms of United's management structure has long been that the signing of players is overseen by people "not from the football world", as Evra put it last year. The pair moved to Old Trafford in 2013 when the Red Devils appointed Moyes as manager. He will be reporting on Manchester United for The Athletic. Edwin van der Sar,Ralf Rangnick, Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra the number of rumoured candidateshas grown and grown over the years, as players-turned-punditsargued that the club desperatelyneeded to give someone with a background in the game a key role intransfer negotiations. United look well set to make at least a few signings, as Murtough knows he has the money. Ole will continue his role in the recruitment process, supported by extensive scouting and data analytics functions that will continue to report to John. Roddy saw Murtoughs submission and hired him to assist coaches at other clubs who were struggling to get what was in their heads down on paper. Isak Hansen-Aaroen joined United last summer.. Although with no confirmed signings as yet, Ten Hag must be hoping that Murtough can support him with his shopping list. He kept a dialogue going with executives at the Italian club to make sure the transfer could go through last January, with Amads immigration application aided by appearances on Atalantas bench. Before being appointed as the Man United director of football, he served as thehead of football development and has been credited with the work doneon recruitment structures and the women's team. Overall, United had a moderate hit-rate on signings in Solskjaers reign, with 40 million midfielder Donny van de Beek, now on loan at Everton for the rest of this season after hardly playing in 18 months at United, perhaps the clearest example of issues somewhere along the chain.