A regional editorial boss is leaving the industry after 34 years to take a top communications job with the football club he used to cover.

Dave Prentice, head of Reach plc’s regional sport agenda team, is set to become communications manager at Everton Football Club.

Dave, pictured, has worked for Reach and one of its flagship dailies the Liverpool Echo for 34 years.

He was previously a football correspondent for the Echo, where he covered Everton and has also held roles including head of sport, deputy sports editor and chief sports writer.

Speaking to HTFP, Dave said: “It may be a cliche, but the time really was right to accept a new challenge.

“It was a genuine wrench to leave the Echo after more than 30 years – but in reality, as the years have passed I’ve been moving further and further away from what was always my enduring passion – writing about Everton Football Club.

“Now I’ll be trying to inform what’s written about the club – from the inside.

“It’s true that I’m joining the club at a very challenging time in their fortunes – but as [former Everton manager and Echo columnist] Howard Kendall once said: ‘You don’t get the chance to manage a great club like Everton unless they are in some kind of trouble.'”

Dave went on to pay tribute to the “truly exceptional group of people” he was leaving behind.

He added: “The current sports desk at the Echo is wonderfully talented, creative, enthusiastic and hard-working.

“It’s no coincidence that during my time there so many former sports desk colleagues have moved on to national titles and the comms teams of other football clubs – some at Everton and some just across Stanley Park [at Liverpool FC]. I look forward to renewing acquaintances with them.

“But the time is now right for me personally and I’ll embrace the new challenge with as much enthusiasm, honesty and drive as I gave the Echo for 34 years.”