Newcastle United announce new sporting director after days of speculation that deal was close
Newcastle United have today announced that they have appointed Ross Wilson as sporting director to replace Paul Mitchell, who left the position in the summer.
The rumour mill had been going full tilt over the last few days, with reports suggesting that Newcastle and Nottingham Forest were thrashing out a deal to release Wilson from his contract at the East Midlands club.
Wilson was in the position of Chief Football Officer at Forest after joining from Glasgow Rangers, where he was Sporting Director.
The 41-year-old arrives with a wealth of experience and a sterling reputation in the world of football.
Newcastle activated a release clause to sign Ross Wilson from Nottingham Forest
Newcastle released a statement on their website at midday on Saturday confirming his appointment after activating a release from his Nottingham Forest deal.
Wilson has already spoken to NUFC's media team and spoken of his delight at joining the Magpies.
"I'm absolutely delighted to be here at Newcastle United. This is such a special club, and I fully understand the passion, ambition and expectations of our incredible supporters, as well as the ambition and desire of our ownership to keep developing and building an even stronger Newcastle United.
"My conversations with ownership have been extremely positive, and I've also been in regular contact with Eddie Howe and David Hopkinson. The trust, cohesion and alignment we're building already feels strong, and we believe that being united as a team will be so important as we continue to move the club forward together.
"I'm excited to work with everyone across the different areas within our football department. There's already excellent work being done here and, from the first team to the women's team and academy, my aim is to build on that, strengthen our structures over time, and work with our staff to create environments where players and staff can continue to thrive."
Third time's the charm
This is now Newcastle United's third attempt at installing a sporting director, and just going off Wilson's words, it sounds like this relationship is already on a more solid footing than either of the last two.
It's thought that Eddie Howe will retain final say on transfers, which is something rare in the modern game, but is clearly important to the gaffer given how quickly the relationships between Dan Ashworth and Paul Mitchell soured.
Wilson has plenty of time to get his feet under the table before the winter transfer window opens, and we'll see how things transpire then, as that tends to be what sporting directors are judged on the most. Although it's perhaps unfair to judge anyone on the January window, given how notoriously difficult it is to navigate.
