Former Liverpool winger Stewart Downing has made a surprise return as part of their backroom staff, four years after announcing his retirement as a player.
Downing spent two seasons at Liverpool between 2011 and 2013 but failed to establish himself as a long-term fixture after a £20 million move from Aston Villa.
Part of a raft of summer signings in Kenny Dalglish‘s first summer transfer window back in charge, plans for the winger never really aligned with what was needed to restore success to Anfield.
That could now change, however, with Downing returning to Liverpool in the role of global talent scout.
This comes after the club advertised for seven new jobs back in December, with the 40-year-old successfully interviewing for a position working under chief scout Barry Hunter.
Downing will therefore be tasked with recommending players to Liverpool’s wider recruitment team after extensive video scouting work.
It is not his first job in football since retiring in 2021, having most recently served as assistant manager for Leeds U21s after ending his playing career with Blackburn in the Championship.
While he may have struggled to find consistency at Liverpool – with seven goals and nine assists in his 91 appearances – there is a confidence he can prove valuable to their ongoing success in this new position.
He is certainly not the only former Liverpool player who is currently part of their staff, with Jay Spearing, Michael Thomas and Jon Newby among those in full-time roles while Rob Jones and Steve McManaman work as part-time mentors.
Ex-Newcastle defender Andy O’Brien and former Swansea midfielder Mark Gower are part of the club’s scouting network.
Liverpool have also worked to appoint a new head of loan management along with a loans pathway lead and loans performance analyst, while a regional scout for the Netherlands and Belgium and two further European-based scouts were sought.
Downing made 722 senior club appearances throughout a 20-year career with Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Aston Villa, Liverpool, West Ham and Blackburn, while he also earned 35 England caps.
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