Former Man Utd Football Director Murtough joins Birmingham City

Murtough joins from Italian side Atalanta, where he has been Director of Global Development since April 2025, and begins work at Birmingham on Monday. 

“My focus will be on working closely with Chris and the wider football team to give them the best possible platform to succeed, while continuing to strengthen recruitment, player development and the pathway from the Academy,” said Murtough.

He replaces Craig Gardner, who left in June after five years in charge of the club’s football department. Gardner, a former Birmingham player, was appointed Technical Director in June 2021, a year after retiring from playing. He was promoted to Director of Football in February 2025.

Gardner had told the club he wanted to take time away from football at the end of last season. During his time in the role, Birmingham were relegated to League One but then won the League One title under Davies and returned to the Championship. They also regained Category One Academy status.

Knighthead Capital Management first invested in Birmingham in July 2023 and completed a full takeover in November 2025. They are developing a new stadium as part of the Sports Quarter project.

“We want Birmingham City competing at the highest level of English football and we are building for sustained success, both on and off the pitch,” said the Birmingham City Board.

In November 2013, Murtough joined Manchester United  to provide support for then manager David Moyes, with whom he had worked at Everton. He was promoted to Head of Football Development in 2016 and became the club’s first Football Director in March 2021, with responsibility for recruitment, Academy, player development, performance and women’s football.

His time at Old Trafford coincided with a turbulent period for the club, with five permanent managers following Sir Alex Ferguson. United failed to regain the Premier League and fell further behind Manchester City and Liverpool.

United did win the FA Cup in 2016 and the League Cup and Europa League in 2017. With Murtough as Football Director, they finished second, sixth and third in the Premier League and won the League Cup in 2023.

However, recruitment – including the big-money signings of Jadon Sancho and Antony – drew heavy criticism. Away from the men’s first team, Murtough oversaw improvements in the Academy and the creation of United’s first professional women’s team in 2018.

When he left United in April 2024, Co-Chairman Joel Glazer said: “After 11 years of tireless work for the club, John has mutually agreed with us that now is the right time to step aside and allow the new football leadership structure to be put in place.”

Right to Dream founder Tom Vernon was among those to pay tribute, writing on LinkedIn: “He’s one of the best leaders in the game and will be a bigger loss than many can see.”

New co-owners INEOS subsequently put in place a structure led by Sporting Director Dan Ashworth and Technical Director Jason Wilcox.

Murtough joined Atalanta a year later, working under Sporting Director Tony D’Amico on the club’s international development. Atalanta reached the last 16 of the Champions League last season, but have had three Head Coaches since Gian Piero Gasperini left in the summer of 2025.