Long-term vision: why sporting directors are now vital for elite football clubs

The days of the all-powerful manager are over so Manchester United’s search for a sporting director is crucial for the club.

Mikel Arteta and sporting director Edu. In November 2022 Arsenal appointed Edu asd their first ever sporting director.

When I was playing for England, Dan Ashworth was always there. He sat in the back of meetings, attended matches and came to training sessions in his role as director of elite development at the Football Association but he never openly interjected, keeping himself to himself. At the time I wondered what he was doing but gradually you could see the effect he had when everything around England improved.

Ashworth has gone on to have great success at Brighton and Newcastle in his understated way as a sporting director. The role was often misunderstood in the UK, more often used abroad, but it is a valuable part of a club’s structure. Ashworth is one of many who are showing the importance of employing someone with oversight of what is happening, giving a club a long-term vision that can bring success on the pitch.