Manchester United Hires First Data Science Director

Manchester United football club has hired Dominic Jordan for the newly created position of Director of Data Science, tasked with driving forward the club's use of data to help players and staff 'deliver success on the pitch'.

Jordan (pictured), who has a background in geospatial analytics, joins from online retailer N Brown Group, where he led a 30-strong team of data scientists, engineers and analysts. Previously, he worked for population movement analytics provider INRIX as Chief Data Scientist, developing algorithms to help monitor the flow of people and vehicles in transport systems; and he was Head of Science and Innovation at location-based content services provider ITIS Holdings.

In his new role, Jordan is tasked with improving the way the club connects and analyses the vast amounts of data generated across its football operations. His job will involve building a team of data scientists and analysts who will gather, clean and combine data from all kinds of sources for use in player recruitment, automatically analysing patterns, and using computer vision to extract information from video feeds in real time.

John Murtough, Football Director, said the appointment reflects the growing importance of data science across a range of areas within the club and its potential to provide a competitive advantage. 'We already make extensive use of data to analyse players' performance and physical condition, and to scout opponents and recruitment targets, but there is huge potential to strengthen our existing capabilities, and build new ones, as part of a more integrated approach to managing and using data.

'This is not about replacing the human elements of performance and decision-making. Coaches will always draw on their knowledge and judgment, and players their experience and instincts. But these things can be complemented by smart use of data. Ultimately, it's about ensuring that players, coaches and support staff are equipped with the best possible information with which to make the right decisions, quickly', Murtough added.

Web site: www.manutd.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.