Even though it’s believed that he wasn’t first choice for the position, Eddie Howe has been appointed as first-team manager at Newcastle United with a contract until 2024.
The former Bournemouth stalwart clearly has a huge job on his hands to resurrect a fading Magpies side, so surely deserves credit for taking on the task in hand at a club that is, by a distance, bigger than any that he has played or worked at before.
He has the luxury of working with the players for the best part of two weeks before Newcastle’s next fixtures, and by then fans of the club will surely be hoping that some of his initial training methods will have stuck.
His appointment was announced on the official Newcastle United website, and Howe was quick to acknowledge his gratitude.
“It is a great honour to become head coach of a club with the stature and history of Newcastle United,” he said.
“It is a very proud day for me and my family.”
As the only club in the Premier League without a win, Howe has an awful lot that he needs to get right in a short space of time, though director, Amanda Staveley, appears convinced they have the right man to get Newcastle where they need to be.
“We have been incredibly impressed by Eddie through what has been a rigorous recruitment process,” she was quoted as saying by the official Newcastle website.
“As well as his obvious achievements with AFC Bournemouth, where he had a transformational impact, he is a passionate and dynamic coach who has clear ideas about taking this team and club forward.
“He is a great fit for what we are trying to build here. We are delighted to welcome Eddie and his staff to St. James’ Park and very much look forward to working together towards our collective ambitions.”