Former Manchester United chief Ed Woodward returns to football two years after Old Trafford departure

Ed Woodward spent a decade as Manchester United’s executive vice-chairman and he’s now made a return to a football-related role.

The irony, of course, is that Woodward was never a football man. There’s no way he should have ever gained the responsibility of running the biggest football club in the world, but now it opens the door for him to work elsewhere in the sporting industry.

Woodward has been appointed to the board of trustees for Bloomsbury Football Foundation. The London-based charity aims to give access to football to young people from diverse backgrounds. It was founded in 2018 and currently helps 5,000 young people.

In total, Woodward spent 16 years at Old Trafford after helping the Glazer family with their controversial takeover of the football club, hence why he has always been an unpopular figure among fans.

Sadly the Glazers remain at United.

The 52-year-old has picked up a variety of roles since finishing in Manchester. Woodward was with an Ai sports firm and an esports company, but this new job is much more rooted in football than those.

A statement from the foundation read: “With Ed joining our board, he will play a key role in advising the team as we move towards our goal of getting 20,000 young people per week in London on the pitch by 2028.”

After joining Bloomsbury Football Foundation, Woodward said: “I am thrilled to be joining Bloomsbury Football Foundation as a trustee. This is an exciting opportunity to join a charity that is already having a significant impact on the lives of young Londoners using the power of football.

“Visiting a Bloomsbury Football session reaffirmed my belief that football has the power to change lives. It is clear the support the charity is already receiving is making a real impact on the pitch. The session represented the diversity of London – the coaches were supportive, players were engaged, and they seemed to be enjoying every minute.”

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