Manchester United’s appointment of Erik ten Hag as their new manager is a huge step in taking the club back in the right direction and they have now followed that up with the appointment of former Liverpool coach Andy O’Boyle as their new deputy football director.
O’Boyle will work in a new role under the club’s current football director, John Murtough, in a bid to re-establish the Red Devils’ dominance in English football by helping to drive the club’s strategy across the first team - as well as the academy and women’s team.
Here is all you need to know about the lifelong United fan, including previous roles, his return to Old Trafford and what’s been said about him.
Who is Andy O’Boyle?
Andy O’Boyle is the new deputy football director at Man Utd, having previously served as a coach in the club’s academy before his departure from Old Trafford 16-years-ago. The Northern Irishman is a lifelong fan of the Red Devils and even played as a youngster in a Manchester United Centre of Excellence in his native country.
He is due to leave his current role at the Premier League as their Head of Elite Performance in order to join United this summer, where he has been responsible for advising clubs on talent identification and recruitment, performance analysis, sports science and medicine, psychology, and loan management.
As well as this, O’Boyle was also at the heart of the Premier League’s response to Covid. He liaised with the government and clubs on protocols to keep football going through the pandemic. He will soon be completing his UEFA Pro Licence this summer, while he is also working towards a doctorate to follow up his Masters degree in sports science.
What do you make of this appointment from the Red Devils? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Previous roles
Before taking up his position at the Premier League, O’Boyle also held roles at Wrexham FC, Coventry City and England Under 21s. He spent 18 months as Wrexham’s 1st Team Fitness Coach, before joining Coventry as the club’s Head of Sports Science for three years, and enjoyed a 14-month spell as England U21s Physical Performance Coach after that.
However, his longest and most standout role to date was with Man Utd’s biggest rivals, Liverpool, where he was based for almost six years in two different roles. The majority of that time was spent as the club’s Head of Fitness Elite Development, between July 2011 and October 2015.
But he then went on to serve as the Reds’ 1st Team Fitness Coach under Jurgen Klopp, between October 2015 and April 2017, as Liverpool finished as League Cup and UEFA Europa League runners-up in his first season, before achieving a top four finish in his final campaign as the Anfield outfit returned to the Champions League.
What’s been said?
In an official statement released by Man Utd, O’Boyle had revealed his excitement at rejoining the club after 16 years away, and has highlighted what an “exciting time” it is to join the Old Trafford outfit, while Murtough was quick to praise his new deputy due to his wealth of experience and revealed what a “valuable addition” he will be to his team next season.
O’Boyle said: “I am thrilled to be rejoining Manchester United at such an exciting time for the club, as the first team prepares for a fresh start under Erik ten Hag, and the Academy and women’s teams go from strength to strength. I can’t wait to get started at United and play my part in creating the right environment for football success.”
Murtough added: “We are delighted to welcome Andy back to Manchester United to take up this important role in the club’s leadership. Andy has experience across all technical areas of football, from fitness and sports science to scouting and recruitment. This will make him a valuable addition to my team at Carrington as we continue to strengthen leadership and strategic planning across all our football activities.”
