Newcastle United has continued reshaping its football operation following the recent departures of long-serving recruitment figures Steve Nickson and Andy Howe, with sporting director Ross Wilson putting his own structure in place.
Newcastle announced the appointment of Tomas Amaral as its new head of first-team recruitment on Tuesday.
The 35-year-old Portuguese recently worked as sporting director at Spartak Moscow and previously held scouting positions with Benfica, Real Valladolid, Eibar and Granada.
“Tomas’ appointment is an important step as we reshape and strengthen our recruitment structure,” Wilson said.
Amaral’s role, on top of everything, represents a change from the previous setup. His work will focus specifically on Newcastle’s senior team, while Paul Midgley, formerly head of youth recruitment, will report directly to Wilson as head of global talent development.
Wilson said Newcastle wanted “a leader who could further enhance our capability and help drive our long-term ambitions,” adding that Amaral has built “an excellent reputation for his strategic approach to talent identification.”
“He is highly respected across European football and brings significant experience, outstanding market knowledge and a strong network of relationships,” Wilson added.
Amaral said his initial conversations with Wilson convinced him of Newcastle’s direction.
“From my very first conversations with Ross Wilson, I immediately understood the vision and the direction the club wants to take over the coming years,” Amaral said. “I strongly share the ideas and ambitions of the people at the club.”
The appointment completes another important piece of Newcastle’s recruitment restructure after Nickson left for Wrexham and Howe departed his senior football executive role.
What do you make of Amaral’s appointment and Newcastle’s new recruitment structure under Wilson? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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