Liverpool sporting director Julian Ward to leave the club at end of season

His decision was unexpected and is understood to have been greeted with disappointment within the club

Liverpool’s sporting director Julian Ward is set to leave at the end of the season (Peter Byrne/PA)

Liverpool’s sporting director Julian Ward is to leave the club at the end of the season after only a year in charge.

Ward assumed duties from his predecessor Michael Edwards, who was widely credited with much of the Reds’ recent success in the transfer market, in the summer but has chosen to leave as it is understood he wishes to take a break after more than a decade at the club.