Stoke City confirm off-field arrival from Premier League club | OneFootball

Stoke City have announced that Ricky Martin has joined the club as their new Technical Director from West Ham.

Martin had been the Academy Manager with the Premier League side but he has opted to link up with the Potters, where he has a relationship with Alex Neil having spent time working with the Scotsman during his spell at Norwich City from 2015 to 2017.

The Championship outfit announced his arrival on their official site this evening, with Martin set to begin work on Monday in a role that will see him ‘oversee various departments, including player recruitment, scouting and analysis, medical, sports science and the Academy’.

And, speaking to the club’s media, Neil explained why this is a smart appointment for Stoke.

“Ricky’s reputation in the game speaks for itself and I firmly believe that attracting a person of his calibre to the Club is a real coup for us and bodes well for the future and what we are looking to achieve.”

The Potters are currently 15th in the Championship ahead of a weekend game against West Brom.

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The verdict

This does seem like a smart decision from Stoke as we all know that they’ve had a tough time of things since relegation and a lack of structure off the pitch has contributed to that.

So, Martin should be able to help improve things at the club and the fact he has worked with Neil shows they share similar ideas on the game which is good.

It may not bring instant success but this does suggest Stoke are on the right track as they look to get back to where they were.