Arsenal technical director James Ellis has confirmed his exit from the club in an emotional statement.
Ellis has spent five years with the Gunners, of which the final seven months were spent as technical director after being promoted as head of recruitment.
BBC Sport reported in February that Arsenal have undergone an internal restructuring in recent months, following the arrival of Andrea Berta as sporting director last summer.
Ellis joined Arsenal in 2021 as a first-team scout, but will now be looking for pastures new.
Confirming his exit via a LinkedIn post, Ellis wrote: "Time to take the next step…
“Sport is a wonderful sector to work in, I am very very lucky to have worked in the industry for 25 plus years.
“My journey in Sport, from participation, rejection, education, coaching, scouting and senior leadership has made me who I am, and I owe this exposure to so many people along the way.
“I have been fortunate enough to work and contribute to some outstanding Sporting organisations, in the UK and abroad in High Performance and the Football industry (non league through to Elite level Premier League Clubs), which I hope in a small way I have left in a better position than when I started.
“I recently departed Arsenal Football Club, where in nearly 5 years I gave my all in an attempt to help contribute to supporting the development of elite level club and its high performance environment.
“The most notable memory of my time there, was coming across a number of wonderful people who (from various backgrounds and various levels of expertise), saw the world of opportunity, responsibility, custodianship and contribution the same as I do.
“I would like to wish the Club the very best for the future.
“Thank you to everyone who has so far in my career, helped shape me, learn so much from and help me find a course that supports my desire to support others, fulfill their potential and support organisations achieve their ambitions.
“I look forward to the next opportunity to continue to do so.”
