Sheffield Wednesday have announced the appointment of Kevin Beadell as their new Head of Recruitment.
Wednesday had been without a recruitment chief since the departure of David Downes to Blackpool in June, and after a disappointing summer of transfer business, it was a position that manager Danny Rohl was keen to fill ahead of the January window.
Beadell has previously spent time at Arsenal, Manchester United and Cardiff City, and Rohl said that he was delighted to welcome him to Hillsborough.
“It was a big topic before we chose Kevin, to find someone who knows the market immediately,” Rohl told the club’s official website
.“He has a good connection to clubs, agents and players. He knows the market and the Championship very well.
It’s a good step forward to have a new guy in this key position and we have to work together to find the right players for the future.
“It’s about building something for the future and it’s important that we have a guy who understands our philosophy and we find players able to do my style of football and then we can create an identity at the club.
“It’s time to work together to build something special.”
It has been a tough start to life back in the Championship for the Owls following their promotion from League One last season, and they are in danger of making an immediate return to the third tier.
Wednesday picked up just their second win of the season with a 3-1 home victory over Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, but they remain bottom of the table, 10 points from safety ahead of this weekend’s game against Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium.
Palmer: Beadell appointment is a positive for Sheffield Wednesday
Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Palmer said after the poor recruitment in the summer, the appointment of Beadell is crucial for Wednesday.
“Sheffield Wednesday have hired a new head of recruitment in Kevin Beadell, and the boss, Danny Rohl, is delighted and fully behind this decision,” Palmer said.
“It is a very positive move from the club as recruitment in recent years has been very, very poor to say the least, and the recruitment in the summer, considering they got promoted from League One to the Championship, was absolutely dreadful.
The chairman should stay out of footballing matters and let those who know what they are doing get on with their jobs.
“Kevin was part of Manchester United’s recruitment under Sir Alex Ferguson, and also spent a decade at Arsenal specialising in emerging talent in the UK and Europe market.
“Kevin will hopefully work closely with Danny in identifying the right players to bring to the football club.
“January becomes an important window as the club have strung together a couple of results to give them some hope that they could still survive.
