Eddie Howe has been confirmed as the new manager at Newcastle United.
The news is hardly a surprise after the 43-year old attended Saturday's 1-1 draw with Brighton at the AmEx Stadium in the company of the Magpies' new owners.
Howe succeeds Steve Bruce in the St. James's Park dugout - signing a 2-and-a-half year deal - after the ex-Manchester United captain was fired nearly three-weeks ago. Graeme Jones has been in temporary charge since then.
It's Howe's first job since leaving Bournemouth in August 2020. Since then, he'd been heavily linked with the vacancy subsequently filled by Ange Postecoglou at Celtic.
He takes over a Newcastle side who haven't won a Premier League game since the final day of last season, and with only 5-points to their name this term.
"It is a great honour to become head coach of a club with the stature and history of Newcastle United," How said, "It is a very proud day for me and my family.
"This is a wonderful opportunity, but there is also a lot of work ahead of us and I am eager to get onto the training ground to start working with the players.
"I would like to thank the club's owners for this opportunity and thank the club's supporters for the incredible welcome they have already given me. I am very excited to begin our journey together."
Howe was - very publicly - Newcastle's second choice for the manager's job. They'd courted, and were subsequently knocked back by, Villareal head coach Unai Emery last week.
Regardless, co-owner Amanda Stavely is happy to have a body in the door.
"We have been incredibly impressed by Eddie through what has been a rigorous recruitment process," she said.
"As well as his obvious achievements with AFC Bournemouth, where he had a transformational impact, he is a passionate and dynamic coach who has clear ideas about taking this team and club forward.
"He is a great fit for what we are trying to build here. We are delighted to welcome Eddie and his staff to St. James' Park and very much look forward to working together towards our collective ambitions."
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