James Pearce explains why Michael Edwards left Liverpool this summer
Liverpool no longer have the mercurial Michael Edwards as their Sporting Director. The man who masterminded some of our most important transfers in the last half-decade or so has left the club.
Julian Ward has taken up his role and with the signings of Darwin Nunez and Calvin Ramsay this summer, is off to a good start. But Edwards and LFC seemed like a match made in heaven.
He left Tottenham Hotspur for the Reds back in 2011 and enjoyed a very successful time under FSG- especially alongside Jurgen Klopp, under whose reign he was promoted to the role of Sporting Director.
Hence, it came as a surprise when news broke of Edwards leaving the Reds. Now, James Pearce of the Athletic (Subscription Required), has given a potential reason as to why he wanted to leave the club when answering a question during a Q&A session.
“Edwards made it clear that he felt the time was right to step away and have a break after a decade of service to the club. It’s a stressful role and he’s got a young family.”
Pearce then says that Edwards could take some time off football. That only makes sense given he has a young family and would want to divert his attention towards taking care of them.
“The owners were gutted to lose Edwards but understood his reasons for not wanting to sign a new contract. He’s been inundated with job offers and I’m not surprised that Premier League rivals are lining up to employ him. Last I heard he was going to take some time out. He’s earned it.”
If not that, then the stress of working in such a role could require individuals to take some time out for themselves every now and then. Jurgen Klopp himself left Borussia Dortmund to take some time off until Liverpool came calling in late 2015.
Edwards has since been linked with moves to Chelsea and Manchester United. The Blues are under new ownership and would want to lay down a blueprint for the transfer model they want to follow from this summer onwards.
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United, meanwhile, are in the process of a big rebuild under Erik ten Hag and John Murtough. LFC fans would hope Edwards doesn’t ruin his Liverpool legacy by joining our fiercest PL rivals, but in football, stranger things have happened.
Our fans would wish him nothing but the best in future endeavours, wherever he ends up in a few years’ time. As for Ward, he has big shoes to fill but having worked alongside Edwards for a while, perhaps he picked up a trick or two.
