Manchester United is seeking to rebound after a disappointing season, and Andy O’Boyle has been named as the club’s deputy football director.
In recent months, United has experienced a dramatic overhaul behind the scenes, with the departures of Ed Woodward and Matt Judge.
We’ve got the scoop on O’Boyle, the 39-year-old who will be aiming to remedy some of the problems at Old Trafford.
Who is Andy O’Boyle?
O’Boyle, who was born in Northern Ireland, has been a longtime Manchester United supporter. He played in a Manchester United Centre of Excellence in his home country before moving on to coaching and sports science.
He proceeded to Liverpool University after finishing his A-levels and got a football scholarship at Rhode Island in the United States, but left after a year.
His first football job was with Wrexham, where he worked with the Welsh club’s youth levels before moving up to the main squad as a fitness coach.
O’Boyle also spent time as a coach at Manchester United’s academy, where he assisted in the development of young players such as Marcus Rashford.
Despite being given a permanent role at United, he elected to join Coventry City in June 2008 as Head of Sports Science.
In 2011, O’Boyle joined United’s arch-rivals Liverpool and worked as the club’s Head of Fitness Elite Development for four years. Jurgen Klopp joined Liverpool as a first-team fitness coach in October 2015.
He pleased the FA during his tenure at Liverpool, earning a 14-month stint as England Under-21s Physical Performance Coach.
However, O’Boyle left Anfield in April 2017 to become the Premier League’s Head of Elite Performance. Advising clubs on player identification and recruitment, loan management, performance analysis, psychology, sports science, and medicine.
He was also a significant figure in the Premier League’s Covid-19 reaction, negotiating with the government and clubs on measures to ensure football’s safe continuation in 2020.
The 39-year-old has returned to Old Trafford and will assist director of football John Murtough across numerous sectors.
He’ll help the club’s football strategy across the first team, academy, and women’s team, and his appointment will relieve Murtough of some of his responsibilities, allowing him to focus on first-team recruitment.
O’Boyle, who holds a master’s degree in sports science and is working on a PhD, will also finish his UEFA Pro Licence this summer.
What did Andy O’Boyle have to say?
“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,” he told United’s official website.
“Whilst it has been a privilege to serve the Premier League for the past five years, I can’t wait to get started at United and play my part in creating the right environment for football success.”
– “I grew up near Ballymena, one of five children,” he told the Coventry Telegraph in 2009. “I have a brother who is a vet in America, one who is training to be a policeman in Canada, a sister who is a dentist and another brother who lives at home on my parents’ farm.
“I go back home for a few days in the summer and help out on the farm and switch off from football.
“We have sheep, goats, turkeys and cows and when I wasn’t playing football or Gaelic football as a kid, I was helping on the farm after school.”
Manchester United’s statement
“We are delighted to welcome Andy back to Manchester United to take up this important role in the club’s leadership,” Murtough told United’s official website.
“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.”
