Richard Hughes joins Liverpool as sporting director with a bright reputation among those in the game, including ex-Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp.
Liverpool confirmed the appointment of Hughes as their new sporting director on Wednesday, with the 44-year-old due to formally begin his role on June 1.
And though his track record with signings and sales may not be of the elite level, the consensus when it comes to Hughes is that he is one of the most well-connected transfer chiefs in English football.
So much so that Redknapp, who managed Hughes at Portsmouth and followed him closely at Bournemouth, has described him as “an encyclopedia of football.”
“Richard is so knowledgeable, knows every player around Europe,” he told the Mail‘s Lewis Steele.
“You mention a player to him and he can tell you what they had for dinner last night.
“He’s been a big part of Bournemouth‘s success with his smart recruitment, he is an encyclopedia of football.”
• READ: Why Liverpool hired Richard Hughes – A football expert who tried to sign 4 of their players
Hughes’ arrival on Merseyside comes on the recommendation of Michael Edwards, newly installed as CEO of Football for Fenway Sports Group.
They formed a close friendship while working together at Portsmouth, with Hughes a player who, along with Eddie Howe and Gary O’Neil, would regularly consult Edwards for input as an analyst.
It was Hughes’ relationship with Howe that saw him appointed technical director at Bournemouth, and the pair almost made the move to Celtic together in 2021.
At the time, Redknapp offered a similar verdict on Hughes when speaking to the Daily Record.
“Richard is like Eddie in that it’s just football, football, football with them,” the 77-year-old explained.
“There’s nothing much other than family and football and then walking the dog.
“Eddie relies on him with the recruitment and it’s that bond and trust they have in one another which is so important.
“Richard’s an interesting character, he has a cosmopolitan side to him and if you talk to him about any player from any part of the world, he seems to know almost everyone.
“He will give you chapter and verse on players I don’t know well. It’s that depth of knowledge and study which he puts into recruitment which makes him so valuable.”
Hughes’ dedication to football shows in his ability to identify players who may not be widely coveted yet – at Bournemouth, for example, he attempted to sign Andy Robertson from Hull and Joe Gomez from Charlton.
Redknapp’s words are certainly encouraging when it comes to a hire who, as far as fans are concerned, is something of an unknown quantity.
