Richard Hughes pays tribute as Liverpool confirm major EXIT

Liverpool formally announced on Friday evening that Dave Fallows will leave the Reds after 12 years. Sporting director Richard Hughes paid tribute in a statement.

Fallows will leave as Liverpool's director of scouting and recruitment. He initially joined as a scout back in 2012 after working for a string of Premier League clubs.

Manchester City, Newcastle United and Bolton Wanderers all benefitted from his work before Fallows went to Anfield. From there, he's become an integral part of the recruitment team, helping to build teams under Brendan Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp.

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His fingerprints are on some of the most important transfers in Liverpool's history. The Reds' system of combining data-driven scouting with traditional scouting and video analysis has delivered incredible results over the last decade - and Fallows has been there through it all.

He actually decided to step down a while ago, it seems, but delayed his decision to help the transitions this year. Richard Hughes arrived as sporting director, with Arne Slot also joining as head coach.

Then there were the returns of Michael Edwards and Julian Ward to the fray, albeit with FSG.

Richard Hughes pays tribute

Hughes is clearly grateful to Fallows for sticking around over the summer, helping him get used to life at Liverpool. The sporting director had very kind words for the outgoing veteran.

“David’s reputation is second to none in his field and his achievements at the club mean he leaves with utmost gratitude and affection,” he said, per Liverpoolfc.com.

“It speaks volumes about Dave that he remained with us to help with the transition and settling-in of a new football leadership team, including myself. I will always be grateful for his advice and assistance during this period.”

Exactly what Fallows has planned next is unclear but we're sure to find out soon.

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