Kristjaan Speakman is arguably the most influential figure at Sunderland AFC as the club aims for Premier League promotion.
Speakman is at the forefront of everything to do with the Black Cats from transfers to the Academy of Light and much more.
And with the team performing well on the pitch in the 2024/25 season, Sunderland supporters can see that he’s doing an impressive job.
But most fans probably don’t know much about the sporting director, such as exactly what his role involves or where he worked previously. Sunderland AFC News shares all the key information.
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Kristjaan Speakman age, nationality and social media
Kristjaan Speakman was born on February 12, 1979. Speakman’s nationality is English even though the name ‘Kristjaan’ originates from Estonia.
You can find Speakman on Twitter/X under the handle @krespeakman. He has over 15,000 followers and his bio reads: ‘Husband | Dad | Sporting Director @SunderlandAFC | Passionate about people.’
What is Kristjaan Speakman’s salary and net worth?
While it’s usually possible to find out football players’ salaries, the wages of non-playing staff are not so accessible.
The video game Football Manager gives us some idea and Speakman earns £3,000 per week (£156,000 per year) on the latest edition (2024). His net worth is undisclosed.
Kristjaan Speakman’s previous jobs at Derby County and Birmingham City
Speakman’s first role in professional football was coaching in Derby County’s academy. The 46-year-old was the Rams’ U18 manager, according to Transfermarkt.
He moved to Birmingham City in 2006 in another academy role before taking up the position of academy manager in 2011. Speakman was later promoted to academy director seven years later, with some involvement in first-team operations.
He oversaw the development of the likes of Jude Bellingham, Jack Butland, Demarai Gray and Nathan Redmond in his time with the Blues.
What is Kristjaan Speakman’s Sunderland position?
Speakman’s official role at Sunderland is sporting director and has been since he moved to Wearside in December 2020. But what does he actually do?
Here’s how the Black Cats first explained his position on the club website: “Speakman will lead SAFC’s overall football programme, including player identification, development and acquisitions across the first team and academy.
“He will also take primary responsibility for reviewing and implementing new strategies to develop the club’s footballing infrastructure, with an emphasis on data analytics and innovation, and providing a clear pathway from the younger age groups to the first team.”
With the ultimate goal of restoring Sunderland’s place in the Premier League, Speakman has not succeeded yet, but it’s hard to argue that he’s not on track.