The son of an Irish farmer has been named Manchester United's new deputy football director.
Andy O'Boyle, who was previously one of Jurgen Klopp's fitness coaches at Liverpool, will work under John Murtough in a bid to help new manager Erik ten Hag bring the glory days back to Old Trafford.
He will leave his role as Head of Elite Performance at the Premier League to join the Red Devils this summer. O'Boyle also worked at United previously, working with the likes of Marcus Rashford 16 years ago.
"We are delighted to welcome Andy back to Manchester United to take up this important role in the club’s leadership,” Murtough declared in a statement. "Andy has experience across all technical areas of football, from fitness and sports science to scouting and recruitment.
"This will make him a valuable addition to my team at Carrington as we continue to strengthen leadership and strategic planning across all our football activities."
O'Boyle, who grew up on a farm in Co Antrim, added: "I am thrilled to be rejoining Manchester United at such an exciting time for the club, as the first team prepares for a fresh start under Erik ten Hag, and the Academy and women's teams go from strength to strength. Whilst it has been a privilege to serve the Premier League for the past five years, I can't wait to get started at United and play my part in creating the right environment for football success."
From Ballymena, the ex-Liverpool coach, enjoyed a brief spell within the Red Devils' academy working to help develop nine and 10-year-olds back in 2006. That was prior to a role with Wrexham's first-team before going on to become head of sports science at Coventry City. O'Boyle joined Liverpool in 2011, where he rose to first-team fitness coach and worked with England's under-21s.
He is due to complete his UEFA Pro Licence over the coming weeks and is also working towards a doctorate, having already achieved a Masters degree. in sports science.
New CEO Richard Arnold recently gave an update on United's plans for their new era led by Ten Hag and Murtough , telling a Fans Forum: "It has clearly been a disappointing season for the men's first-team. Work is well underway to address this, led by our Football Director, John Murtough and our new manager, Erik ten Hag.
"Resilience and high standards are core values for Manchester United, and we are determined to achieve better results next season and beyond. Faith in youth is another key tenet of the club and the continued success of our Academy gives us confidence in the future."
Previously speaking about the farm he grew up on, O'Brien said: “We have sheep, goats, turkeys and cows and when I wasn’t playing football or Gaelic football as a kid, I was helping on the farm after school.”
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