Adam Underwood is the Sporting Director of Leeds United and here’s what you need to know about him.
Things are on the up at Leeds United. At least, for now, they are.
The club was in the Championship when Paraag Marathe spearheaded the 49ers’ full acquisition, as the company became the majority owner after buying the rest of Andrea Radrizzani’s shares.
Daniel Farke had been hired a few weeks before and he has proven to be a shrewd appointment. Leeds might have fallen to Play-off final heartbreak in 2024, but they didn’t panic and stuck by the manager, who went on to claim the Championship title with 100 points.
Now Leeds are back in the Premier League, exactly what the 49ers want off the back of their investment and plans to redevelop Elland Road.
But a football club’s success is no longer solely down to the manager and his squad; now the organisation and structure at executive level are just as important.
Adam Underwood has been a key player in that regard for years and here’s what you need to know about him.
- Who is Paraag Marathe? What you need to know about the Leeds United chairman
Who is Adam Underwood?
Adam Underwood is a highly regarded football executive who has been praised repeatedly for all the work and success he has enjoyed at Elland Road and Thorp Arch.
He studied at Leeds Beckett University and has turned down offers from other big Premier League clubs to remain at Leeds.
When did Adam Underwood join Leeds United?
Underwood was first hired by Leeds over a decade ago in November 2014.
He joined the club as Academy Director and ensured the club continued to produce quality youngsters even when things elsewhere were not going well.
Harry Gray, Archie Gray, Charlie Cresswell, Sam Chambers, Robbie Gotts, Oliver Casey, Alfie McCalmont, Jack Clarke, Jamie Shackleton and Ronaldo Vieira all made first-team debuts after graduating through the academy.
Though Underwood didn’t have a hand in their development on the training pitch, he did create an environment for them to flourish and hired talented coaches, not to mention fending off interest from other clubs in the talented starlets.
Underwood is also credited with getting Thorp Arch into shape for Marcelo Bielsa, when the maverick coach arrived at the club with sky-high demands for the training ground revamp.
What does Adam Underwood do at Leeds United?
Underwood’s success with the academy didn’t go unnoticed. He was promoted to head of football operations in July 2023 and, in May 2025, amid another executive reshuffle, to sporting director.
Upon the announcement, chairman Marathe said: “I am excited to welcome this group into their new roles as leaders of the club.
“These appointments are a recognition of the depth of our leadership team, our significant sporting and business achievements over the past two seasons, and our commitment to building a high-performing club led by individuals who represent Leeds United inside and out.
“I am confident they will help drive the club forward in this next chapter.”
That means Underwood is now in charge of transfers at Leeds and managed to make 10 new signings in his first transfer window, though there was disappointment that Farke didn’t get the attacking midfielder he had demanded on deadline day.
Praise for Adam Underwood
Speaking to The Athletic, Michael Skubala, who worked as Leeds U21s manager between 2022-23, showered Underwood with praise.
He said: “He’s really ambitious, but in a Leeds United type way.
“He’s very ambitious in his own career, would always want to progress, but wanted to be ready first; very calculated, but very ambitious.
“He definitely had other clubs always sniffing around him to become technical director and sporting director. Some big Premier League clubs were trying to get him to move. He never left, so it shows you his commitment.
“He knows the pressures of the game. He’s not somebody who’s come from outside of football to be a sporting director.
“He understands football, all the nooks and crannies of it. It’s really important in the sporting director role that you have that understanding.
“You can’t come at it from completely stats or come from just an analyst’s point of view.”
Receive a digest of our best Leeds content each week direct to your mailbox
