‘Keep an eye on him’… 40-year-old could now replace Dan Ashworth at Newcastle

Add as preferred source on Google

Dan Ashworth is set to leave Newcastle for Manchester United.

The Newcastle been placed on gardening leave by the club, and the Tyneside outfit need to go and find a new Sporting Director to take over.

In modern football, the role of the Sporting Director is often as important as the role of the manager, and Newcastle need to get this appointment right.

Speaking on the Premier League All Access Podcast, Alex Crook has been discussing who could replace Dan Ashworth at Newcastle, and he says that he’s been told that Lee Dykes from Brentford is a potential option.

Lee Dykes could replace Dan Ashworth

Crook shared what he knows about the 40-year-old.

“The one name I have heard so far is that of Lee Dykes, the Technical Director at Brentford. He’s a Geordie, he’s a boyhood Newcastle fan, done a great job at Brentford, so keep an eye on him,” Crook said.

Good option

Dykes is as good an option as anyone to replace Ashworth at Newcastle.

Dykes has done a great job in establishing Brentford as a Premier League club in recent years, and much like Brighton at Newcastle, he’s uncovered a number of gems with his stats-based model.

Of course, stepping up to a club like Newcastle won’t be easy for Dykes, but after such good work with Brentford he’s ready to make this kind of step up and he could pick up exactly where Ashworth left off.

Newcastle will struggle to replace Ashworth. After all, he is one of the best in the business, but Dykes is very much cut from the same cloth, and if anyone is equipped to continue the good work Ashworth had been doing at St James’ Park, it’s Brentford’s current Technical Director.