Southampton FC hire Manchester City head of recruitment Joe Shields

Published by

Sam Pither

Southampton FC has appointed Joe Shields to the role of Head of Senior Recruitment

Shields, 35, joins the Saints following a nine-year stint at Manchester City, where his final title was Head of Academy and Recruitment. Before City, he held scouting and recruitment roles at Crystal Palace and Fulham.

The Saints’ previous Head of Senior Recruitment, Martyn Glover, has left to join Leicester after three years with the club.

Shields is not the only person to make the switch to the South Coast, with Irish goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu and Belgian midfielder Romeo Lavia also making the move from Manchester.

Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset. A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise. Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.