Head of recruitment Darnbrough departs Stoke
Stoke City's head of recruitment Lee Darnbrough has left the Championship club.
www.bbc.comStoke City have appointed Stuart Harvey as their new technical director, announced on May 22, 2026. Harvey previously served as Sunderland’s head of player recruitment and has also worked at Blackburn Rovers, bringing experience across multiple clubs to Stoke.
Key details
- Appointment: Stuart Harvey named technical director at Stoke City.
- Reporting line: He will report to sporting director Jonathan Walters.
- Background: Four years at Sunderland as head of player recruitment; prior six years at Blackburn Rovers in various roles.
- Context: The club finished 17th in the Championship last season and remains outside the top half since relegation from the Premier League in 2018.
If you’d like, I can pull a brief comparison of Harvey’s role and typical responsibilities of a technical director at other clubs, or summarize what this appointment might imply for Stoke’s transfer strategy and academy integration.