Stuart Webber has moved from Wolverhampton Wanderers to become Huddersfield Town’s new head of football operations.
The 31-year-old, who replaces Southampton-bound Ross Wilson, has been head of recruitment for Town’s Championship rivals since January 2013.
He was central to the signings of Nouha Dicko, Kortney Hause, Lee Evans and former Town loan striker Benik Afobe.
Webber previously worked for Wrexham, Liverpool and QPR.
He began his career in Wales, working on recruitment for Wrexham’s Centre of Excellence before becoming head of youth, which included managing the Under 18s.
Webber joined Liverpool in July 2009 as director of recruitment and played a key role in the deal which saw Raheem Sterling move to the Reds from QPR in 2010.
In three years at Anfield, he managed a team of scouts and the overall recruitment strategy for players up to the age of 19, working with the likes of Damien Comolli and Frank McParland and alongside managers like Rafael Benitez and Kenny Dalglish.
At QPR, from August 2012, he was head of scouting.
Town manager Chris Powell said: “It’s great that Stuart has joined us.
“His role is of paramount importance for a Championship football club and in supporting me as manager. I’m sure he’ll do very, very well here.
“We saw how important Ross was in his role in bringing in players of the calibre of Jacob Butterfield and Conor Coady.
“That comes from watching players domestically and abroad, being connected with the right people and knowing when players are right for our club.
“The world of football recruitment has become much more complex in the last 10 to 15 years.
“The rise of technology means you can watch players at the touch of a button and that has made the field more challenging, so we have to be cleverer than ever before.
“At Huddersfield, Stuart will be the main man in this field and we’ll trust his judgement – and that of the scouting team – as we work together with the chairman and board.
“I’m looking forward to working with Stuart. His work on the recruitment side will allow me to focus fully on preparing the squad for the challenges of the 2015-16 Championship season.”
Town chief executive Nigel Clibbens said: “Stuart’s arrival is an important next step for the club’s football operations.
“He has excellent knowledge of players and has operated at Championship level, as well as in Premier League and academy player development set-ups.
“We have taken its time over this appointment to ensure we get the right man and the chairman, Dean Hoyle, and manager, Powell, have been integral in the appointment.
“We have all met a number of people and have been thorough and patient in making this appointment.
“Since the head of football operations position was created in the summer of 2012, the club have made huge strides forward in terms of recruitment and in football structures behind the scenes.
“Following this hard work, the next challenge is to develop and improve further.
“Stuart also has a very important role in recruitment, particularly at professional level.
“He’ll work alongside the manager and board of directors to ensure Huddersfield Town use their available resources to full effect in order to continue our on-field progression.”
