Backlash: Newcastle United omitted from Dan Ashworth statement as ex-transfer chief gets new job

The Football Association has thrown a lifeline to Dan Ashworth, welcoming the embattled executive back into the England setup following his disastrous spells at Newcastle United and Manchester United.

The 54-year-old’s return marks a remarkable full-circle moment for a man once considered English football’s brightest administrative talent, now seeking redemption after two of the most scrutinized career moves in recent Premier League history.

Ashworth’s fall from grace reads like a cautionary tale about football’s ruthless executive merry-go-round. His Newcastle exit left bitter tastes on Tyneside when his clandestine negotiations with Manchester United came to light, resulting in an acrimonious gardening leave period before his eventual departure last summer.

The move to Old Trafford, meant to crown his club career under Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s new regime, instead collapsed spectacularly within months, with Ratcliffe himself branding the appointment “an error” in a rare public admission of failure.

Now the FA has offered Ashworth sanctuary in a role that plays to his strengths – long-term structural development rather than the cutthroat immediacy of club football.

Tasked with spearheading St. George’s Park’s £multi-million regeneration ahead of Euro 2028, Ashworth returns to familiar territory where he previously masterminded England’s youth revolution between 2012-2018.

His new position as Director of Football Operations will see him collaborate with men’s technical director John McDermott while helping select Kay Cossington’s successor for the women’s game – responsibilities that leverage his reputation as a builder of systems rather than a firefighter of crises.

FA CEO Mark Bullingham’s effusive welcome – describing Ashworth as a “hugely influential and respected figure” – suggests the governing body values his institutional knowledge and tournament experience above recent club missteps.

For Ashworth, this represents more than just employment; it’s an opportunity to rehabilitate his reputation by focusing on the developmental work that first earned him acclaim during England’s golden generation of youth tournament successes.

The appointment raises intriguing questions about modern football’s executive culture. Where clubs demand instant results, the FA provides Ashworth something increasingly rare – the luxury of time and patience.

His return demonstrates how some football minds thrive better in international setups than the pressure-cooker environment of Premier League boardrooms.

As Ashworth begins this new chapter, the football world will watch closely to see whether this homecoming can restore luster to a career that once seemed destined for the very top of the game.