Everton confirm new football leadership appointments

Everton have confirmed four new appointments as part of the football leadership structure at the club.The Toffees have appointed Nick Cox as technical director, James Smith as director of scouting and recruitment, Chris Howarth to direct the club's football strategy and analytics operations and Nick Hammond to lead the club's player trading activity.Cox is currently academy director at Manchester United while Smith will join in September from across Manchester, moving from the position as director of scouting and recruitment at the City Football Group. Howarth has worked with 14 clubs across Europe through his consultancy Insight Sport which Everton owners The Friedkin Group have acquired as part of his arrival.Since his retirement from playing, Hammond has worked as director of football for 13 years at Reading, technical director at West Brom for three years and head of football operations at Celtic Chief Executive Officer Angus Kinnear said: "I'm delighted with the appointments of Nick, James and Nick. "Their CVs speak for themselves - they are exceptional operators, hugely respected in the game and an example of the ambition we hold as a club in ensuring the pathways and structures in place across our football operations are of the very highest standard."The fact we had such exceptional candidates for these positions is also a reflection of the direction of the club. "The new football leadership structure will ensure our two managers have the very best support, and the very best operators driving the key football operations, to ensure our collective ambitions are realised."

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