Sources: Ex-Leeds United youth Andy Cousins is quitting Stoke City
Former Leeds United youth Andy Cousins is leaving his role as Stoke City football chief, Football Insider can exclusively reveal.
Cousins was promoted to the role of head of football operations at the Championship club last year as part of a backroom restructure.
But the 38-year-old’s four-year spell at Stoke is now coming to an end and the decision has been made that he will part ways with the club.
Cousins arrived at the club as lead analyst in November 2019 to coincide with the appointment of then manager Michael O’Neill.
He was promoted from within last year to take on the position that had been vacant since Mark Cartwright, whose title was technical director, departed in July 2019.
Cousins’ remit has been to oversee the club’s entire football operation, including performance analysis, recruitment, contract negotiations and transfers.
O’Neill admitted that Cousins was “close to the players” but little of his work was done on the training pitch.
“Andy has worked with me for a long time, he knows what I want as a manager and he can demand that from other areas of the club whether it’s through the Academy or recruitment or sports science. It’s about having the right structure.”
The former Leeds youth player previously worked in recruitment for Man City and as a scout for Northern Ireland with O’Neill.
His departure comes at a time when Stoke are almost certainly out of contention to make this season’s Championship play-offs.
The goalless home draw against Norwich City on Saturday leaves them 13th in the table and 12 points adrift of sixth-placed Millwall.
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