Newcastle set to appoint Man Utd chief despite Dan Ashworth’s best efforts – Report

Newcastle look set to acquire the services of top senior analyst Luke Dickson – but only once he’s completed a period of gardening leave at Manchester United.

Coming courtesy of Craig Hope’s confidential column for The Mail, it’s emerged that Luke Dickson – a boyhood Newcastle fan – informed Man Utd that he intended to work alongside Eddie Howe earlier this year, but was put on gardening leave before he could do so by Red Devils chiefs, including Sporting Director Dan Ashworth. Oh, the irony!

Hope writes, “Luke Dickson informed his Man United bosses that he wanted to quit to take up a key post within Eddie Howe’s first-team set-up earlier this year. But Old Trafford chiefs, with Ashworth as sporting director, told the 28-year-old he could not start his new role on Tyneside until November.”

This prolonged holdup “has been met with a sigh by some inside Newcastle”, who feel this is a petty response to Ashworth’s own attempts to leave his role at St James’ Park earlier this year, Hope reports.

Now, set to start his role on Tyneside at some point in November, 28-year-old Dickson could be a welcome addition to Newcastle’s growing backroom staff, offering support to Eddie Howe and the club’s first-team coaches.

Dickson, who was lead academy analyst at Man Utd for five years, has also worked at Leicester City and Hibernian with over eight years of experience working within football analytics. Manchester United look to still be in the process of recruiting for Dickson’s replacement.