Newcastle United have appointed Ross Wilson as the club’s new sporting director after triggering his release clause at Nottingham Forest.
The Magpies said Wilson will be “responsible for sporting strategy, development and recruitment across men’s, women’s and Academy teams, working closely with the club’s football leadership and executive teams.”
The 41-year-old, formerly of Southampton and Rangers, joins from Forest, where he served as Chief Football Officer, after Newcastle triggered his release, although the terms of the release “will remain confidential between the clubs.”
Wilson fills the vacant position previously held by Paul Mitchell, who announced he was standing down in June.
While there were rumoured tensions between Mitchell and Eddie Howe, the Newcastle head coach acknowledged that a sporting director “protects the manager from a lot of things”.
In a statement, Wilson said: “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.”
Newcastle are back in action on Saturday 18 October when they travel to Brighton in the Premier League before hosting Jose Mourinho’s Benfica the following Tuesday.
