EXCLUSIVE By Matt Lawton and John Edwards Last updated at 1:24 AM on 21st October 2010
The new man in charge of Liverpool is Joe Januszewski, the Boston Red Sox executive who persuaded John W Henry to buy the club.
Sportsmail understands that Januszewski, who runs the Red Sox corporate sales team, is the new chief operating officer, replacing managing director Christian Purslow, who stepped down yesterday. He will be joined by an experienced football administrator.
New boys: Joe Januszewski (centre) with John W. Henry (left) at Liverpool's Melwood training ground
Januszewski, who has been a Liverpool fan for 20 years and was at the team's European Cup victory in Istanbul five years ago, advised Henry to watch the situation at Liverpool, which pricked the multi-millionaire's interest in Anfield.
Januszewski told reporters: 'It was as a fan, really. I told him my bags are always packed for Liverpool, I know a great couple of places if you need a tour guide.
'People walk into my office at Fenway Park and, OK, I work for the Boston Red Sox but there is another club that wears red which has a pretty solid representation on my wall. There's souvenirs, ticket stubs, all the rest. People look at me and say, "What's the deal?"
'I tell them baseball is my business but Liverpool FC is my passion.'Purslow will remain at the club as an advisor to the new owners, who have reportedly dissuaded commercial director Ian Ayre from leaving.
Purslow quit just five days after helping to push through the £300million sale to Henry's New England Sports Ventures.
Nobody, however, told under-fire manager Roy Hodgson, who said: 'Will his departure affect my position? Not that I know of, but that is not a question for me to answer.
'The fact is I had no idea before today that he was planning to leave the club. I have only worked with Christian Purslow for three months.
'I know he and Martin Broughton were brought in to sell the club to the right owners and to put right a lot of the things they saw were wrong with the club and he has worked hard to do those things.
'His lasting legacy will undoubtedly be the fact that they have given the club the right owners to take the club forward and build an exciting future.'
Purslow, who has been commuting from his home in Surrey for the past two years, told the club's website: 'I came to Liverpool Football Club to lead it through a sale process to get the best overall deal including, vitally, the removal of the debt. I am immensely proud of what we have all achieved.
'I now look forward to assisting the owners in any way I can at this exciting time as they drive the club forward towards a bright future.'
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1322353/The-new-man-charge-Liverpool-ordinary-Joe.html
