‘Confirmed’ - Former Newcastle United and Celtic man joins Leeds United on short-term deal

Leeds United have appointed Nick Hammond as an interim football advisor on a short-term contract as they continue their search for Victor Orta’s replacement.

The 55-year-old worked as sporting director at Reading and as a technical director at West Brom before taking on transfer consultancy roles at both Celtic and Newcastle United.

He was part of the background team during the Magpies’ first transfer window under their new Saudi Arabian ownership, as Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood, Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn and Matt Targett all joined the club in January 2022 with the team then avoiding relegation from the Premier League.

Speaking about what his role at Newcastle entailed, Hammond said last year: “My role (at Newcastle) was a little bit more in the background than I would be as a normal sporting director. As a sporting director over my career I would lead the discussions, lead the negotiations with potential signings.

“This role was sort of a step removed from that, doing the checks and balances in the background, having an opinion on the players who had already been identified by Steve Nickson and his team, having taken a good steer from Eddie Howe, the new head coach, who had to make very quick decisions in terms of where he saw his squad.

“It was a fascinating experience, I thoroughly enjoyed it, but very challenging time for them (the Newcastle owners). It was interesting in as much as here you’ve got a group of people who all want to achieve the same thing but they’re new, they’re almost thrown together.

“I don’t mean that in a haphazard way, but new group of owners; new head coach; Steve (Nickson), who’s been in the building for a long time, and all of a sudden in a very short space of time you’ve got to come together and make some decisions to try and strengthen the team for what is the short term ambition of staying in the Premier League.”

The YEP reports Hammond will be at Leeds for a three-month period to deal with the summer transfer window. The club will hope to appoint a sporting director or equivalent by the Autumn, who will then focus on the club’s long-term transfer strategy, starting with the January window.

A club statement from Leeds confirmed: “Leeds United are pleased to confirm the appointment of Nick Hammond as the club’s interim football advisor on a short-term contract. Hammond will help support the club during the summer transfer window.

“The experienced 55-year-old, former director of football at Reading and head of football operations at Celtic, worked in a similar consultancy role at Newcastle United.

“The process for finding a new, permanent, director of football at Leeds United is under way and the club aim to complete this process by October, allowing the successful candidate to focus on the January transfer window.”