Newcastle United fans probably thought it was Kylian Mbappe or a similar superstar that would elevate the club from relegation scrappers to the cream of the Premier League. In reality, it might actually be… Dan Ashworth.
The news that Ashworth is departing Brighton with immediate effect might not make back page news anywhere. In fact, plenty of football fans could walk past the 50-year-old in the street and not know who he is.
So why does this matter? Why is this such a big step? And who is Dan Ashworth?
Who is Dan Ashworth and why have Newcastle hired him?
Ashworth never made it to senior football. A youth career at Norwich City was all that he managed before going onto become academy director at Peterborough United in 2000 and a year later, the director at Cambridge United's centre of excellence.
There were stints behind the scenes at West Bromwich Albion but in 2012 is where things really get interesting. Ashworth was headhunted by the FA to become England's director of elite development. This is where he became one of the creators of the "England DNA", helping to establish the style of play that youth English talent would play with in recent years.
The under-age success that the Three Lions have had? That's partly down to Newcastle's new director. He stepped down in 2018 to go to Brighton as a technical director and again, helped to streamline the philosophy of a team under Graham Potter.
Ashworth is someone who understands how to curate a footballing identity. He knows what an ambitious team should look for in a player, how to find it and how to assemble a top squad that punches above its weight. The hiring of the much-respected Graham Potter was also likely to have been made with his work in mind.
What will he bring to Newcastle?
A new identity, for a start.
The Magpies' signings in January have varied in profile but going forward, there will likely be a more obvious "Newcastle style of play" – in just the same way that Brighton play attractive, possession-led football. Ashworth will be responsible for bringing a new culture to Tyneside, as the Toon look to modernise.
Since Chris Hughton has left the Amex, Brighton have become better at keeping the ball, pressing and entertaining. They make better signings – see the likes of Marc Cucurella and Tariq Lamptey for relative peanuts – and most of their squad have their prime ahead of them.
The sale of Ben White to Arsenal for £50m proves that the Seagulls are getting better at developing players, too, and extracting maximum value from their stars. This is exactly what Newcastle want.
Why could this be big for the Premier League?
The analysis of Brighton from experts is simple. They punch above their weight, they look excellent statistically and to the eye test – and if they had better footballers, who knows what heights they could reach?
Brighton operate on a tight budget. They are not a rich club. Imagine what Dan Ashworth could do with the richest club in the world.
Well… we don't have to wonder for much longer. Brighton are arguably better run and have been better in the transfer market than the likes of Tottenham, Manchester United and Arsenal in recent seasons. Leicester City have been shrewder than the top six and managed to finish fifth two seasons in a row – and they're not even close to Newcastle in terms of budget.
The Magpies having this newfound financial wealth and one of the best directors in English football is the golden recipe for success. Ashworth essentially has a blank canvas for building a new superpower of European football, the CV of having improved teams before with his vision and an almost unlimited pot of money to make Newcastle great again. The Big Six have been warned…
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