Newcastle United close to Rice agreement as Dan Ashworth continues to make changes

The Magpies are closing in on another impressive addition as part of a long-term plan at St James Park.
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Newcastle United are reportedly close to strengthening their recruitment team as Dan Ashworth continues to make changes behind the scenes at St James Park.

The Magpies academy scouting set-up has already been bolsted by arrivals of Manchester City duo Paul McLaren and Paul Midgeley and a deal was also agreed to allow West Ham United scout Delroy Ebanks to take over a newly-created role working in the South of England. Edward Black, who has been Arsenal’s North of England and Scotland Emerging Talent Scout since June last year, has also been recruited as he takes up a lead scouting role, according to Training Ground Guru.

Dan Ashworth joined Newcastle United as sporting director in the summer.Dan Ashworth joined Newcastle United as sporting director in the summer.
Dan Ashworth joined Newcastle United as sporting director in the summer.
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The moves are part of a big push to strengthen United’s scouting setup that was reduced to skeletal levels during the latter years of Mike Ashley’s ownership of the club. At present, the Magpies are believed to be recruiting scouts to take up positions across several major countries in Europe, as well as Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay and Ecuador.

Football Insider have now reported Southampton’s head of youth recruitment Dan Rice has ‘handed in his resignation’ to take up a new role with Newcastle after two years with the Premier League strugglers. Former Fulham and Arsenal academy scout Rice joined the Saints as Under-13 to Under-19 recruitment manager in February 2021 before assuming his current position at the start of last season.

However, it now seems he is set to join Newcastle as they look to give themselves the best possible chance of securing young talent from around the United Kingdom and beyond. The recent appointments will take United sporting director Ashworth a step closer to one of his key aims he revealed following his appointment last summer.

He said: “You get a change of owner, a change of manager or a club getting relegated or going into administration, and all of a sudden, these players come through and it’s, ‘Blimey, didn’t we have a load of good players in the Academy!’ They haven’t just suddenly landed there – it’s about joining up pathways.

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“All I can say is that I’m a former academy manager and I’m really passionate about giving young players an opportunity. But they have to be good enough. Football will decide if they’re good enough or not, but what we have to do as a club is give them the right people, the right coaching and the right pathway. And give them the opportunity to play – if they are good enough – in the top half of the Premier League.