Norwich City has announced that Ben Knapper will be their new sporting director, taking over from Stuart Webber. Knapper, 36, previously served as the loans and pathway manager for Arsenal, where he oversaw the development and strategy of their loan system. He also worked closely with the club’s football intelligence team and was involved in their recruitment strategy. Knapper will begin his new role on November 27.
Knapper’s transition from loans manager to sporting director follows a similar path taken by Julian Ward at Liverpool and David Weir at Brighton. Despite never holding the official title of sporting director, Knapper believes his previous role was a “mini sporting directorship” as it required him to manage the relationship between the club’s academy and first team. It also involved making decisions about loaning players to other clubs and handling the financial and economic aspects of those deals.
In an interview with Training Ground Guru, Knapper explained that his role required him to engage with stakeholders within the club and represent the club externally in the market. He expressed his excitement about the variety of responsibilities that come with the sporting director role, noting that it combines elements of football, economics, and finance. Knapper sees his new position at Norwich City as an opportunity to continue developing his skills in these areas while leading a small stable of players.
Knapper’s appointment as sporting director at Norwich City highlights the growing importance of the role in modern football. Sporting directors play a crucial role in managing a club’s transfer strategy, player development, and overall football philosophy. With his experience at Arsenal and his understanding of the loan system, Knapper brings a unique perspective to the role. It will be interesting to see how he applies his knowledge and skills to help Norwich City achieve their goals in the Premier League.
