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Liverpool has confirmed the appointment of Gary Probert as the club’s new head of loan management, joining from Ipswich to help develop players who are temporarily stationed elsewhere.
Probert joins the Reds having previously worked as director of football operations at Ipswich. He held that role from 2021 where he was involved in the club’s recruitment, academy development, analysis, U21s and loans program. Before his spell at Portman Road, Probert was academy manager at Bristol City.
Matt Newberry, who has been promoted to director of global talent, previously held the position. Julian Ward, who also used to have a similar role, later became Liverpool's sporting director and now works for FSG.
Earlier this week, the Training Ground Guru reported that a club insider said Probert’s "blend of operational experience and player development expertise made him the stand-out candidate" for a role that will be crucial to Liverpool’s long-term strategy.
This summer alone, Liverpool made over $130M as they sold six players who had played for the academy. Probert will be tasked with finding clubs for young talents who need to further their development, either to be sold or to move into the senior team.
The likes of James McConnell (Ajax) and Lewis Koumas (Birmingham City) are currently out on loan.
Harvey Elliott is technically on loan at Aston Villa but that move will be made permanent next summer, while Kostas Tsimikas is temporarily at AS Roma but only because Liverpool could agree a sale for the Greek, who has fallen down the pecking order.
Liverpool has seen plenty of changes at youth level this summer, where most of the loan focus will be directed. Rob Page and Simon Wiles became U21 and U18 head coaches respectively.
Luiz Fernando Iubel, the Reds’ new individual development lead coach, acting as the bridge between the academy and the senior team, has also arrived, while Liverpool has announced plans for a major revamp of the training base in Kirkby.
The current main pitch at the Reds’ youth center will have a dome — attached to the existing Academy building — attached over the top. That will create the first ever full-size indoor pitch for use.
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A new grass pitch will be created in the outdoor area and feature a stand capable of holding up to 500 spectators, becoming the new external centerpiece for matches played there.
The forthcoming redevelopments will also include revamped and improved medical and sports science functions to aid in the progress of the club’s younger age groups.
"We’ve never had a full-size indoor facility before that would match up with a lot of our competitors," academy director Alex Inglethorpe said.
"While I’m all for toughening them up in the Kirkby wind and rain, there are a lot of days when we have to cancel training or the quality of a session is compromised. It’s going to make a massive difference."
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