'This is a big club' - Ex-Leeds United man joins Premier League hopefuls as new head of recruitment
A former Leeds man has made a big move.
An ex-Leeds United coach has joined a Championship side as the club’s new head of recruitment.
Goalkeeper Martin Hodge made over 600 appearances during a 19-year playing career, mainly for Sheffield Wednesday where he made a club record 214 consecutive appearances.
The ex-keeper then became Wednesday’s goalkeeping coach before later filling the same position at Leeds between 2004 and 2006.
Now 66, Hodge has since been working in scouting and recruitment and the former Whites coach has now been named as Hull City’s new head of recruitment.
The Tigers avoided relegation on the final day of the current campaign - after which boss Ruben Selles was sacked.
Owner Acun Ilicali has big ambitions for the Tigers and highlighted Nottingham Forest’s ascension to the Premier League this week as an inspiration for his club.
Hull say that Hodge will work closely with sporting director Jared Dublin and oversee the club’s recruitment department.
“I’m pleased to be joining the club,” said Hodge as quoted by the club’s official website.
“Seeing the infrastructure that is in place and the number of people that work here, this is a big club and a project I’m excited to get my teeth into.
“The chairman is very ambitious, and I have known Jared for years and believe we can work well together. We have conversations daily, sometimes two or three times a day.
“We have already got the ball rolling, and the lads here have already done the pre-work. As a department, we will discuss players in great depth. It’s about mixing my ideas with theirs and sharing opinions.
“If you watch players and combine it with the data, and have good people within your unit, then there is a better chance that you will get it right.”