In February, Derby County announced that Mark Thomas has joined the football club in the role of Head of Recruitment. Thomas previously held a similar role at Oxford United for a decade. We spoke with Liam Rice, the Oxford United reporter for the Oxford Mail to find out more about him, his time at Oxford and what he might bring to Derby County.
Mark Thomas has left Oxford United for Derby County. It was rumored for a while. When it was first being rumored, was it surprise?
I don’t think the rumours of Mark Thomas leaving were a surprise at the beginning. He’d been linked with his former club Portsmouth last summer and reportedly turned down a head of football operations role. Given that Mark was at Oxford United for 10 years and the respect he has within the game, it seemed only a matter of time before he left for a new venture.
Will Mark Thomas be bringing any scouts with him to Derby? Has Mark Thomas worked with Paul Warne before?
As far as I’m aware, he won’t be taking any scouts with him to Derby, and I don’t believe he’s worked with Paul Warne before.
Would you consider Mark Thomas’ time at Oxford a success?
I think Mark’s time at Oxford was very much a success. The club had a clear recruitment model, which in recent years paid off handsomely. The likes of Kemar Roofe, Marvin Johnson, Gavin Whyte, Rob Dickie, Rob Atkinson and Luke McNally are just a few of the unpolished gems who were bought for very little and then sold on to a higher level for a large profit.
Is there a particular type of player Mark Thomas favors to sign?
Younger players with potential are clearly a favourite of Mark and the model at United, but also players from Ireland. Gavin Whyte and Luke McNally are two examples from those above who were brought over from Ireland and became key players for the U’s. Like any club, not every signing payed off but more often than not, those signed under Mark were a hit.
In his long-term recruitment strategy at Oxford, did he himself come up with the plan or was it in conjunction with the others (CEO, manager, etc.)
In his last interview with the club, Mark said he was ‘very grateful to the club for providing me with the opportunity to design and implement a recruitment structure and strategy I believe in’. He very much led the recruitment strategy with the support of the board and managers too.
Do you think Mark Thomas can be a success at Derby?
It’s a new role at Derby but one Mark will have support as and when required. The ambition there will of course be to get back into the Championship, I can see Mark playing an important role in doing so next season. He’s got a hard work ethic, knows the game inside out and people within it, so I very much anticipate his time at Derby to be a success.
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