Liverpool have promoted loan and pathways manager Julian Ward to the role of assistant sporting director.
Ward has worked for the Reds for eight years, spending the last five coordinating loan switches for some of the club's youngsters.
During that time, Ward has kept close tabs on how the loanees have fared during their respective terms, relaying the pertinent information to Jurgen Klopp and his staff at Anfield.
Liverpool are keen to recognise the outstanding performance of their loan manager and have now promoted him to the assistant role of sporting director Michael Edwards.
It is believed that Edwards, alongside Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon, is keen to see Ward's display rewarded with the promotion.
Ward will now work even closer with Edwards in the recruitment department as the Reds aim to kick on in the second half of the Premier League campaign.
Liverpool are known to studiously think about the destination of their players when they depart on loan deals, with thought given to what kind of football project they are lending their talented youngsters to.
Such a thought process enabled Rhian Brewster to thrive at Swansea City in the Championship last season where he scored 11 goals in 22 games.
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His performances for the Swans helped Liverpool command a fee of over £23million from Sheffield United for a teenager who had played just a handful of games for Klopp's senior side.
The destination of Blackburn Rovers for Harvey Elliott back in September was also carefully decided on, with the Reds feeling the 17-year-old would be ideally positioned to benefit from Tony Mowbray's track record of honing young talent.
Ward moved from Manchester City in 2012 and worked within the scouting team for three years before he took the newly-created pathways role.
The Aintree-born Ward, who did a Masters degree at the University of Ulster, has previously worked for Preston North End and the Football Association before a two-year stint as Man City's South American scout.
The club's head of football projects, David Woodfine, has been promoted to Ward's previous role as the champions undergo significant changes to their backroom operations.
