Swansea City's search for a new sporting director is nearing its conclusion, with Ben Stevens poised to take on the role. The formalities of the move were reportedly completed shortly after his current club, Crystal Palace, lifted the UEFA Conference League trophy in Leipzig.
Stevens' Background and Experience
Stevens served as assistant sporting director at Crystal Palace for two years, a period in which the club enjoyed its most successful era, winning the FA Cup, Community Shield, and the European trophy. His arrival at the Swansea.com Stadium is part of a broader reshuffle behind the scenes. While the exact remit of his role has not been clarified, some expect it to mirror that of Richard Montague, who left in September.
Several members of Swansea's scouting team also departed, and head of recruitment Adam Worth left in April. Stevens brings extensive experience in recruitment and data analysis, having worked in the latter for nine years at Palace before his promotion. He served as assistant to Palace's director of football Dougie Freedman and became one of the club's most respected figures.
When Freedman left in March 2025, Stevens became the most senior full-time recruitment staff member until Matt Hobbs was appointed in October. During the summer, he was reportedly the main point of contact for new signings and the first port of call for agents. According to Sentinel Sports, Stevens remained responsible for coordinating the scouting team, data analysis, and operational logistics after Hobbs's arrival.
Potential Impact on Swansea
Stevens' dealings with agents and representatives suggest he has the skillset to drive Swansea's recruitment this summer and potentially resolve the stand-off with Ethan Galbraith over a new contract. Talks have stalled after the player rejected an initial offer, but Galbraith has two years left on his deal plus an option for another 12 months. Swansea is keen to tie him down after a successful first Championship season.
How much influence Stevens will have on negotiations remains to be seen. Identifying new players is expected to be a key part of his role, leveraging his background in data analysis. He has highlighted the overlap between recruitment and performance analysis, noting the evolution of data in football.
In a 2021 interview with Palace's website, Stevens said: "When I first started, not all games were covered, so you'd have gaps in your data log. The data available was from a very small sample. Now, fantastic data analysts from mathematical backgrounds combine technical and physical data to create new metrics. The data scope has exploded over my time."
The use of data in recruitment and performance is not new, but Swansea has made a conscious effort to improve in this area. CEO Tom Gorringe claimed the decision to hire manager Vitor Matos was largely data-driven, citing improvements at his previous club Marítimo. Stevens' arrival may impact these data analysis models, and Swansea hopes any changes will be beneficial.
Stevens emphasized the importance of internal data interpretation: "For stats to work, they must be internal because internal people know what to look for. With tracking and event data, some stats may not mean anything to other clubs but are crucial internally. You must ask: 'What is the point of this data? Why are we using it?'"
