Michael Edwards makes decision on football return after leaving Liverpool
- Michael Edwards served as Liverpool sporting director from 2011 to 2022
- Widely regarded as one of football's best spotters of talent
- Chelsea, Man Utd and Real Madrid linked with his services
By Sean Walsh
Liverpool's former sporting director Michael Edwards is closing in on a return to football, but will do so in a new advisory capacity.
Edwards departed Liverpool in 2022 after 11 years with the club. He was widely regarded as one of the game's elite talent-spotters and oversaw a period in which the Reds notably won the Premier League and UEFA Champions League. During that time, Liverpool signed the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, while Jurgen Klopp was recruited as manager.
Since leaving Anfield, Edwards has not been short of attention. 90min reported in October 2022 that he had knocked back advances from Chelsea, while Manchester United played down speculation they were looking to add him to their hierarchy.
In addition to clubs in England, the Independent reported at the end of 2021 that Real Madrid were interested in hiring Edwards ahead of his exit from Liverpool.
Until now, Edwards has remained tight-lipped about his next move, and The Athletic report he is nearing a return to football with the launch of an advisory service.
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Edwards is set to work under former Liverpool colleague Ian Graham, who previously served as the club's director of research, at his new company Ludonautics. They will offer advice to ownership groups and teams on how to create success.
Though he is in line to join Ludonautics as a non-executive director, The Athletic add Edwards would be able to combine this role while working as a sporting director of a club.
However, it is not believed Edwards is interested in marrying his services to one team for the time being and this particular step back into the sport is testament to that.
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