Swansea City have appointed Josh Marsh as their new head of football operations.
The Swans have been eager to draft in a new football chief following the departure of Mark Allen in April. The Welshman left the club due to a number of disagreements with the club's owners and chief executive Julian Winter, with many grievances understood to pertain to the January transfer window specifically.
Now, ahead of the club's pre-season campaign, Swansea have confirmed former Huddersfield Town chief Marsh has been named as Allen's successor. Marsh will operate in a different position to that of Allen but will still play a pivotal role in the club's recruitment.
“Following a thorough recruitment process, it became evident that Josh was the outstanding candidate for this role,” Swansea City chief executive Julian Winter said.
“He is a bright and ambitious individual and fits the profile of what we are looking for at the football club. Josh has made great strides with Huddersfield in recent years and carried out an impressive body of work that has led to progress both on and off the pitch. He will now play a key role in the club’s recruitment this summer and both myself and Russell are very much looking forward to working with him.”
Swansea City head coach Russell Martin added: “Josh arrives with really good knowledge and experience, particularly in the field of recruitment. He has done an excellent job at all of his previous clubs, in particular Huddersfield most recently where he is well-regarded by everyone he’s worked with there. We are pleased to now have him on board during the summer transfer window and we are looking forward to all working together to make it a success.”
Marsh was most recently head of recruitment with chief executive Winter's former club Huddersfield while he has also held the role of chief scout at the Yorkshire outfit. The former Wrexham academy player has also held scouting positions at Wolves and Southampton. The Terriers missed out on promotion into the Premier League last weekend after losing 1-0 to Steve Cooper's Nottingham Forest in the Championship play-off final at Wembley.
“It is an honour and a privilege for me to accept this opportunity at Swansea City, a club which has such a strong identity and history of success,” said Marsh. “From speaking with ownership, Julian and Russell, it was clear to me that there are some real positives at the club and a strong desire to progress and be successful. I’ve been fortunate to work at three fantastic clubs with some great people. I am now looking forward to applying the knowledge and experience I have gained to this role and working together with Julian, Russell and the wider team.”
The appointment of Marsh comes as part of a significant shake-up at the Swansea.com Stadium this summer. Colin Calderwood is set to join the club's coaching staff later this month ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
Scotsman Calderwood - who has been assistant manager at Northampton Town since last summer - previously worked with Swans boss Russell Martin at Norwich City and has managed the Cobblers, Nottingham Forest, Hibernian and Cambridge United. Current technical development coach Matt Gill is set to become Martin's assistant on a full-time basis following the exit of Luke Williams earlier this year.
Both moves are expected to be officially ratified in June. The Swans' pre-season campaign begins on June 17. They will take on Plymouth Argyle and Charlton Athletic in friendlies next month, with four other fixtures due to be confirmed.
