Paul Mitchell takes over from Dan Ashworth as Newcastle’s sporting director

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Newcastle has named Paul Mitchell as the new sporting director, taking over from Dan Ashworth.

Mitchell comes with experience from working in scouting and club development at Southampton, Tottenham, RB Leipzig, and Monaco.

He is replacing Ashworth, who officially left for Manchester United earlier this week after lengthy discussions.

Darren Eales, the head of Newcastle, expressed his happiness in bringing Paul to the team. Paul comes with a history of success and a lot of experience that will benefit the club.

With his broad range of experience in football management, fostering cultural shifts, and talent acquisition, he is the perfect candidate to head our sports leadership team.

We are excited to collaborate with Paul and assist him as we strive for lasting, stable achievement.

Mitchell, who is 42 years old, had a professional career playing for teams like Wigan and MK Dons. Unfortunately, his time as a player ended abruptly due to an injury, which led him to transition into roles off the field.

After becoming the top scout at MK Dons, he transitioned to Southampton in 2012. He then joined Tottenham in 2014 with manager Mauricio Pochettino, taking on the role of head of recruitment. Some of his notable signings for the team in London were Dele Alli and Son Heung-min.

Afterward, he became a part of the Red Bull organization, playing for Leipzig and New York before becoming the sporting director for Monaco in 2020. There were rumors in the past connecting him with Liverpool and Manchester United.

Mitchell expressed great pride in taking on the role of sporting director for Newcastle United.

I have witnessed the club's recent expansion and drive. Combined with the incredible support from the fans, it was an obvious choice for me to join.

I am eager to begin working and contribute to the organization's advancement and sustained success in every aspect of elite football performance.