From the surface wanting in, Matt Newberry is a low-key determine. A Google search returns little info apart from a job title, and he doesn’t have a profile on Liverpool’s official web site.
But regardless of the unassuming digital footprint, Newberry and his crew have an extremely necessary function in moulding the membership’s future.
Newberry’s function since 2024 has been ‘director of world expertise’, the place he leads a youth recruitment drive that has seen the arrival of what Liverpool consider are a number of the finest kids within the sport.
In 2026 alone, the Reds have signed Mor Talla Ndiaye from Senegalese membership Amitie FC, Ifeanyi Ndukwe from Austria Vienna, Samuel Martinez from Atletico Nacional in Colombia, Lucca Brughmans from Genk and Djylian N’Guessan from Saint-Etienne.
Hungarian Armin Pecsi, who has one cap and is represented by the identical company as Liverpool vice-captain Dominik Szoboszlai, was additionally signed in an analogous transfer which membership staffers describe as an aggressive need to recruit the easiest rising younger expertise.
Internally, the membership consider Brughmans is the perfect younger goalkeeper on this planet. They really feel the identical about Ndukwe at centre half – and his skills have been already evident in pre-season earlier than he went on mortgage to La Liga facet Levante.
Defender Mor Talla Ndiaye (centre) is one in every of a number of gifted kids Liverpool have signed in 2026 alone
Regardless of his unassuming digital footprint, Matt Newberry and his crew have an extremely necessary function in moulding the way forward for Liverpool
Not the entire above names will make it in Liverpool’s first crew. However Liverpool consider that if even only a couple do, Newberry’s crew have succeeded. Others might be bought on and the membership can profit in alternative routes.
The method of Newberry and his crew goes effectively past simply scouting younger gamers.
Insiders level to the actual fact all of those youngsters may have been recognized by each prime membership within the sport. One of many world expertise crew’s key duties is nurturing relationships with golf equipment around the globe and promoting Liverpool to gamers.
Newberry, for instance, not too long ago travelled to Colombia to work with Martinez, who will be part of Liverpool’s academy from subsequent season – or when he turns 18, attributable to Brexit guidelines prohibiting British golf equipment signing international expertise earlier than they’re an grownup.
Younger keeper Brughmans had been taken to Actual Madrid and was anticipated to observe within the footsteps of his idol Thibaut Courtois, till Newberry and Co intervened and bought him the pathway at Liverpool.
The membership moved shortly and made their supply to Genk on the Sunday morning earlier than switch deadline day. By Monday morning, he was on a jet to Merseyside.
So who’s Newberry himself, the person on the helm of this operation?
Born in County Down, Northern Eire, Newberry’s first function in soccer was at Birmingham Metropolis as an academy scout and he was quickly a recruitment officer for younger expertise. He joined Liverpool just below 15 years in the past and has held a number of roles in youth scouting and recruitment.
When working as a scout, Newberry is credited with being the person who first watched Ryan Gravenberch taking part in for Ajax Below 16s as a 13-year-old. Liverpool signed him a number of years later and Gravenberch was named Premier League Younger Participant of the 12 months when Liverpool gained the title in 2024-25.
Younger goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans was anticipated to maneuver to Actual Madrid however Liverpool bought their man
Anfield insiders regard Ifeanyi Ndukwe (left), on mortgage at Levante, as among the best younger defenders in world soccer
Newberry was influential in bringing fellow Northern Irishman Conor Bradley to the membership, too. His native crew Dungannon Swifts welcomed two Liverpool staffers, who checked out their amenities. Bradley remained connected to the membership and would fly forwards and backwards to Merseyside to coach. Coaches at Dungannon are nonetheless sorted and flown over to Liverpool video games.
James McConnell, who performed for Liverpool’s first crew final week, had an analogous story. The Newcastle fan was signed from Sunderland at 14 and positioned in a college simply down the highway from some household buddies who housed him.
Newberry additionally spent a yr working as pathways supervisor, basically checking out loans for children – ensuring the brand new membership is the best one, their taking part in fashion suits and that the participant’s private wants and improvement are sorted.
Liverpool have been one of many first adopters of this function and Julian Ward, who’s to take over from Richard Hughes as sporting director, beforehand occupied the place. Ward’s successor was David Woodfine, now assistant sporting director and a key cog within the operation.
One of many causes the membership has turned to international expertise is Brexit and guidelines that prohibit British golf equipment signing Europeans earlier than the age of 18. This would possibly sound like a contradiction, however British expertise now prices a premium.
Academy director Alex Inglethorpe stated earlier this yr: ‘The market is extra aggressive now across the age of 16 than it’s ever been. There’s no query that since Brexit, the panorama has modified and it’s pushed up the value of younger English expertise.’
There’s something of an arms race creating within the youth sport. Youngsters (and generally pre-teens) are being provided flash vehicles, massive homes, guarantees of first-team debuts inside sure time frames, eye-watering bonuses to get round wage caps, and all types.
Liverpool poached Rio Ngumoha from Chelsea two years in the past and the Blues tried to retaliate by focusing on a number of kids in Liverpool’s academy. Ngumoha may have earned extra at Stamford Bridge however was as an alternative bought on the pathway at Anfield.
He’s now a fully-fledged member of the primary crew and in line for a bumper new contract quickly. Final time period, he was paid a nominal wage – for a footballer, anyway! – however remunerated with wholesome bonuses and performance-related add-ons.
Rio Ngumoha, 18, is already a fully-fledged member of the primary crew and in line for a bumper new contract quickly
Rival golf equipment have been prepared to pay 16-year-old winger Joshua Abe almost £50,000 every week to signal for them
Some golf equipment have been prepared to pay 16-year-old winger Joshua Abe almost £50,000 every week to signal for them, with Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester Metropolis and Actual Madrid all eager. It exhibits the success of Liverpool’s youth coverage is about greater than funds.
A number of academy stars have already performed for the primary crew this season, with boss Andoni Iraola in common contact with youth staffers. Captain Virgil van Dijk can also be an everyday at youth video games and never simply because his younger son Jacey has educated on the membership.
Newberry’s crew will not be designed to chop throughout any home scouting operations or mortgage pathways. They work intently with the opposite departments and Gary Probert, introduced in from Ipswich as mortgage supervisor, has gained many followers contained in the membership.
Everyone seems to be eager to emphasize that each one recruitment at Liverpool is a crew sport and no particular person ought to take all of the credit score. Not too long ago departed head of academy recruitment Chris Dowling, who was influential in bringing Ngumoha to the membership, was additionally a key participant.
Consider Newberry’s crew then, as an extension of the sporting director with a selected concentrate on the rising skills within the sport. Bear in mind, the membership have not too long ago invested £20million within the redevelopment of the academy and its amenities, with a full-size indoor pitch below a dome.
A part of their remit has additionally been to increase Liverpool’s tentacles into much less conventional markets. Earlier than the signing of Martinez, for instance, the Reds had not beforehand executed a lot searching for South American kids. Earlier than Ndiaye, the African market was largely untapped.
The president of Gambian facet BST Galaxy was invited to the AXA Coaching Centre to fulfill membership employees and two gamers got trials at Liverpool. Once more, this drive is as a lot about nurturing relationships as it’s discovering the gamers within the first place.
The Reds make use of many regional scouts, resembling Dassler Marques and Gonzalo Siegrist in South America. In February, they recruited former Mechelen left again Laurens Paulussen to concentrate on Belgium and the Netherlands.
Jasper Vallmark has coated Scandinavia for a yr, Tika Musonda moved from Spurs to be a worldwide expertise scout. These are just a few examples of their world operation, however they nonetheless have loads of home workers – resembling former winger Stewart Downing.
That’s the reason they’re eager to unfold their wings, however the arrivals of present first-teamers Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni from fellow English golf equipment present the worldwide drive will not be coming on the expense of home recruitment.
Liverpool nonetheless have loads of workers scouting the home market – resembling former winger Stewart Downing
One other participant Liverpool have watched is striker Michael Mulholland from Northern Irish facet Crusaders. The Belfast-born ahead supposedly as soon as scored 256 in a single season. He already has a number of caps for the Northern Eire youth crew and an adidas deal.
In two different strikes first revealed in Confidential, Liverpool additionally signed Zach Trinder from Wolves, rated as among the best younger goalkeepers within the nation, and defender Dara Jikiemi from Celtic.
Any of these may very well be the following cab off the rank for Liverpool, whose attain stretches additional than ever earlier than. Newberry and Co are simply as essential to shaping the long run as anybody at Anfield – and they’re assured a few of their recruits will strike gold.
