Josh Marsh | Swansea City’s clear identity will aid player recruitment

Josh Marsh believes Swansea City’s clear and defined playing style will play a key role in player recruitment.

The club’s new head of football operations has a strong background in scouting and recruitment across Premier League, Championship and League One, and is already looking forward to finding players which suit the club’s style of play.

“I think strong identity is a real positive,” said Marsh.

“When you talk about player recruitment specifically, having a clear identity really helps so that was something that was a positive for me at this club and also aligns to my beliefs in terms of how I like to watch the game be played and the type of players that I like.

“You’ve got a few things when it comes to recruitment; there’s identifying the talent, then there’s being brave in terms of your decision making and being backed internally to go and bring that player in.

“Then, when the player comes in, it’s about how you help that player settle in and transition to where you want him to get to.

The 30-year-old, who was previously head of recruitment at fellow Championship side Huddersfield Town, started his career with scouting roles at Wolves and Southampton.

And with the transfer window about to begin in earnest, Marsh feels his past experiences – along with work already done at Swansea City - will help them hit the ground running ahead of what promises to be a busy period.

“Recruitment and scouting is my background,” he said. “My knowledge and experience in that field will be something I bring to the role and will be a big part of what I try to put in place.

“I feel lucky to have worked at Premier League, Championship and League One, and, during the time I was at Southampton, at the top half of the Premier League and in Europe.

“It’s been great to experience the game at those respective levels and to learn what it takes to compete. Naturally the knowledge of players and how a club needs to be set up from an infrastructure point of view puts me in really good stead.

“From my conversations with the club so far, the principles of trading and trying to be proactive and think outside the box and not just do the usual Championship transfer activity, is something that the club are passionate about. That aligns to my beliefs.”