Joe Savage was a shock exit from Hearts when he walked away from his sporting director role in the summer.
The former Preston North End head of recruitment had a successful three-and-a-half years at Tynecastle during which he worked closely with managers Robbie Neilson and Steven Naismith and was instrumental in the signing of a number of players for the club.
But it was confirmed towards the end of last season he had taken the decision to move on and his departure finally came in July after working his notice.
In a statement, Savage confirmed he was keen to take a break from football ahead of his next move. That was despite having had interest in his services from English clubs, and it was thought he could eventually move back south.
Savage makes surprise move after Hearts exit
However, he has gone down a different route as the 40-year-old revealed his new venture. The ex-Hamilton Accies man has launched his own football consultancy – FT FT Consultancy.
Posting to LinkedIn, he said: “I’m excited to announce the launch of FT FT Consultancy—a dedicated sports brokerage and consultancy firm.
“At FT FT, we specialise in connecting agents, football clubs and organisations with tailored opportunities for success; brokering key partnerships to ensure we navigate the complex world of football together.
“FT FT prides itself in forging and maintaining successful relationships in the world of football. Let’s work together!”
Hearts replaced Savage with Graeme Jones
Hearts themselves have already moved on from Savage by appointing well-respected Scottish FA man Graeme Jones.
Jones has been with the governing body for over nine years and has most recently been their performance director, working closely with Steve Clarke and the Scotland first team. He was previously head of football science and medicine and then head of high performance.
Coming from a different background, the new man’s role will be altered slightly from Savage’s despite holding the same title. There is likely to be less of an onus on recruitment with Hearts moving towards an analytical approach amid Brighton owner Tony Bloom’s prospected involvement along with his data analytics company Starlizard.
Tartan Army hero James McFadden worked with Jones at Scotland and previously told the Jambos what they could expect from.