Town have announced the appointment of Sam Williams as their new head of recruitment.

At last night's Fans' Forum CEO Mark Ashton revealed that the club were set to name a new man to run their scouting system.

Williams will officially join the Blues from Manchester United, where he is currently a first-team recruitment analyst and academy scout, on Monday 11th April.

Before joining United in November 2017, Williams had been an academy scout at Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday.

“Mark Ashton really sold the club and it’s a really exciting time to be joining,” Williams told the club site.

“It’s been a privilege to work for Manchester United and I’ve worked with fantastic people, but this was an opportunity I just couldn’t turn down.

“There’s a lot of work to be done between now and the end of the transfer window. I’m looking forward to the challenge and working together closely with Kieran [McKenna], [assistant manager] Martyn [Pert] and [director of football operations] Gary [Probert].

“We’re going to implement a very thorough and methodical process which will help provide the best available players to help us achieve our aims and ambitions, which is getting the club back up the leagues.”

Speaking last night having been asked about the scouting structure, Ashton said: “It’s work in progress, it’s an area that reports into Gary Probert. The club has appointed a head of recruitment that will be announced imminently.

“We’re got technical recruitment and data in place and we have scouts in place but we have been searching far and wide for someone to lead that team.

“I’m delighted, Martyn Pert’s been really influential in helping us with that, we’ve found that person.”

Photo: Matchday Images

Guthrum added 09:30 - Mar 30 Gamechanger aren't messing around with their player or staff recruitment.
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Johnnyo added 09:35 - Mar 30 You get the feeling that the club is run so professionally now,good appointments all round,seems having to listen to lamberts cook and the others we've had over the last decade or so just a bad memory, Ashton a breath of fresh air
5

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 11:03 - Mar 30 Sounds very promising. Just hope the whole ITFC package across the board comes together. We certainly seem to be going in the right direction. COYB!
2

OliveR16 added 11:11 - Mar 30 As fans we naturally focus on the manager, the individual players and the last month's games. But this is the sign of the more profound changes in the background which Gamechanger have brought. I notice the consistent use of the plural 'leagues' when Ashton/Gamechanger - and here Sam Williams - speak about going up.
4

ghostofescobar added 11:13 - Mar 30 Sounds like things will be a bit different to Paul Cooks "I want that one" philosophy! Another part of the jigsaw. I don't know the guy, but he must be useful if he is Manures first team recruitment chap. Welcome to ITFC Sam. Things are looking up!
2

Europablue added 11:15 - Mar 30 Welcome and good luck. I'm not going to hold it against him that he was working at one of the clubs with the worst recruitment record.
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peewee added 11:17 - Mar 30 I feel a bit sorry for mick and lambert now after having both hands tied behind there backs. Tho being backed with cash and bring in the right people for the right job. Spending on the stadium, having a young manager with tactical ideas. It's refreshing to not hear dribble in interviews partly to cover up the house built on sand after the last regime was to tight to spend on the cement.

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Linkboy13 added 11:37 - Mar 30 This is an area we have been weak in for years some of the players that have walked through the doors at Portman road have been appalling. Hope this will mean no more journey men.
4

Orraman added 11:48 - Mar 30 Regardless of one's opinion of Man Utd, they are a big club and yet in the past 4 months we have taken Kieran, their first team coach and now Sam Williams, their first team recruitment analyst who has stated that “it was too good an opportunity to turn down”. Remarkable that we can now attract top professionals like these two. Ipswich Town are on their way back and I am already looking forward to August to see the first steps on this journey back to where Club and Fans belong

6

TimmyH added 11:51 - Mar 30 If we're recruiting staff from Manchester United you know things are getting better...
1

Bert added 11:56 - Mar 30 We have entered a thoroughly professional period of management at our club. Most of us don't know what is required behind the scenes for the modern game and Evans clearly didn't either. As others have implied, Lambert did not have the resources and in the last knockings he made it clear that the club was not being run properly. Perhaps it was he who triggered Evan's thought to sell up but we will never know. Are we at the beginning of a golden era ? It seems so and that makes me happy.

4

Stourbridgeblue added 11:57 - Mar 30 Man Utd are just our feeder club now,
2

ringwoodblue added 11:57 - Mar 30 Hopefully in the future we will bringing in quality players from Europe and further afield alongside better developing our own academy players rather than buying duds from lower leagues
1

KernewekBlue added 12:45 - Mar 30 Our previous managers had to work within what amounted to a negative budget whilst toeing the company line set by Evans... that's why we never got any real sense from them. Under this owner/management, there's a much stronger feeling that we're seeing a new era of transparency and honesty from the powers that be... with some cash to splash, a clear goal in mind and real targets being set, not that 5-year bulldust spouted by Evans The club now feels different in every aspect... thank god! COYB

4

Ipswichbusiness added 14:13 - Mar 30 Linkboy13; I think that our recruitment hit rock bottom in January last year when we signed all those loanees who did very little for us and have done little for anyone since.
1

Suffolkboy added 14:59 - Mar 30 Clear headed thinking , obviously great skills of negotiation and persuasion , and a wonderful emphasis on ambition and commitment for the future is bringing real talent to ITFC ! It's highly likely that any money will be spent judiciously and very evident KM has regular and valuable input into planning and directing ‘football ‘ thinking . We can all be truly positive about ITFC once again ,and feel the supporters love and support for the Club is being repaid handsomely . COYB

2

Maltster added 16:49 - Mar 30 We seem to be getting a large number of backroom directors. How on earth did Sir Alf and Sir Bobby manage with just one trainer/assistant?
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Saxonblue74 added 19:10 - Mar 30 Two things stand out here for me. One is that we're attracting some very high calibre staff,who seem to be buying into the club and what we're trying to achieve. The second is that maybe Man Utd is not a happy environment to be working in right now! We are after all currently a lge1 club, yet attracting MU staff! Good place to go to and maybe a good place to leave?

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LPMC1 added 11:17 - Mar 31 I am of the impression that we are only able to attract these sort of appointments as a result of getting in Kieran. Us fans have seen him talk and am constantly impressed and imagine that those who knew him at united felt the same and want to work with him. Fingers crossed for what comes next
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Razor added 12:04 - Mar 31 Hopefully we can start looking abroad again----we all know there are osme good bargains to be had there----particularly Ho;lland!!
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istanblue added 21:20 - Mar 31 Night and day between Gamechanger and Evans the Clown
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