Everton unveil new four-man Football Leadership Team

• Nick Cox (Technical Director): Will “ensure all aspects of Finch Farm are at elite level” and oversee Medical, Operations, Facilities, Player Care and Academy functions. Cox is currently the Academy Director at Manchester United, a role he was appointed to in 2019, three years after joining United as Head of Academy Operations.
• James Smith (Director of Scouting and Recruitment, pictured): Will join Everton in September, moving from his position as Director of Scouting and Recruitment at the City Football Group. Joined Manchester City from Manchester United in 2014, before being appointed as the recruitment lead for the City Group’s stable of clubs across the world in 2023. Prior to United, Smith was part of Everton’s recruitment and insights team for 10 years.
• Chris Howarth (Head of Football Strategy & Analytics): “Will ensure the club is at the vanguard of data optimisation in the development of all aspects of football operations.” Has worked with 14 clubs across Europe through his Insight Sport data consultancy. As part of his arrival, Everton’s owners, The Friedkin Group, have acquired Insight Sport.
• Nick Hammond (Head of Player Trading):Retired as a player in 2000 and went on to become Director of Football at Reading for 13 years, Technical Director at West Brom for three years and as Head of Football Operations at Celtic. Most recently worked as a transfer consultant at both Leeds United and Newcastle United.

Chief Executive Angus Kinnear, who arrived at the club from Leeds United this summer, said: “I’m delighted with the appointments of Nick, James and Nick. Their CVs speak for themselves – they are exceptional operators, hugely respected in the game and an example of the ambition we hold as a Club in ensuring the pathways and structures in place across our football operations are of the very highest standard.

“The fact we had such exceptional candidates for these positions is also a reflection of the direction of the Club. I’m equally delighted by our appointment of Chris and ownership’s strategic acquisition of Insight Sport, which is a further sign of our ownership’s ambition for Everton and I believe step-changes our analytics capability and will deliver us a long-term competitive advantage.

“The new football leadership structure will ensure our two managers have the very best support, and the very best operators driving the key football operations, to ensure our collective ambitions are realised.”

Earlier this week Wolves announced that they too were moving away from having a Sporting Director to a Football Leadership Team made up of: Domenico Teti (Director of Professional Football), Matt Jackson (Director of Player Recruitment and Development), Phil Hayward (Director of Performance), Matt Wild (Director of Football Operations & Administration) and Max Fitzgerald (PR & Communications Director).