Everton's transfer strategy will be shaped by a new senior recruitment analyst, Oliver Slater, who has joined the club from Premier League rivals Newcastle United. The appointment was first reported by Newcastle World.
Slater's background and move to Everton
Slater, who originally joined Newcastle from Blackburn Rovers in May 2023, was tasked with identifying emerging talent in South Korea during the Magpies' pre-season tour last year. He announced his new role on LinkedIn: “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as senior recruitment analyst at Everton Football Club.”
He also bid farewell to Newcastle: “Today marks my final day at Newcastle United after an incredible 3+ years in their recruitment department. Extremely grateful and fortunate for the opportunities and memories I’ve experienced at such a fantastic football club. A special thank you to everyone who I’ve worked closely with across the club. Looking forward to a new challenge in the near future!”
Role and responsibilities
According to a Newcastle United job advertisement earlier this year, the role involves delivering detailed video and live analysis on players in key positions across assigned markets. The ad stated: “You’ll deliver detailed video and live analysis on players in key positions across assigned markets. Working closely with our lead video analyst, data team and head of technical scouting, you’ll build clear, objective evidence that supports recruitment strategy and future transfer planning. Your work will inform real decisions. Your detail will make a difference.”
Previous ties to Everton and Liverpool
Bolton-based Slater, returning to his native North West, has previous links with Everton and Liverpool. He earned a first class degree in Sports and Exercise at Liverpool John Moores University between 2017-2020, followed by a master’s degree in Sports Performance Analysis at the University of Chester between 2020-2023.
During his undergraduate studies, he completed a year-long internship at Everton from 2019-2020 as a sport science support assistant. He later had a brief spell as academy performance analyst at Rochdale before spending two-and-a-half years at Blackburn Rovers, progressing from academy performance analyst to professional development phase performance analyst and finally first team performance analyst for the 2022/23 season.
