His official stint in the office of sporting director will only be brief, but Julian Ward's Liverpool legacy could be significant when he eventually walks away next summer.
The job of replacing the vaunted Michael Edwards was always going to be a difficult one given the near-mythical status he enjoyed within Liverpool's fanbase, particularly since becoming the club's maiden sporting director in November 2016.
Many of the players who are responsible for some of the most memorable nights in living memory at Anfield were brought to the club on Edwards' studious and analytically-driven watch, so the task of following on from someone of such status within football was no doubt a daunting prospect, even for someone like Ward, whose tutelage and preparation for the role was done with a view for the long term.
