Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe has revealed that he was told by Newcastle United that it was a two-horse race for the manager's job before he was appointed - and that when Aston Villa boss Unai Emery turned it down, he was in line to replace Steve Bruce. Howe has been in charge at St James's Park for three years and in that time has led the Magpies to the Champions League.
It was well documented at the time, though, that Newcastle - who hadn't long been taken over by the Saudi PIF - were exploring the prospect of luring Emery back to England from where he was at the time, in his native Spain and with Villarreal. He had just won the Europa League (again) and was enjoying his time in La Liga in the Champions League. As a result he rejected the opportunity to relocate to Tyneside.
Howe was the beneficiary in that moment because, having left Bournemouth who he'd kept in the Premier League for five straight years, he was out of work and awaiting his next opportunity in the top flight. He secured the job and, although he was second choice in that process, he didn't dwell on it.
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“It doesn’t bother me that Unai Emery turned the Newcastle job down, not in the slightest," Howe told Simon Jordan's Up Front podcast, via William Hill. “I was given a phone call that highlighted it was a two-horse race for the job between Unai and myself. Unai’s CV is unbelievable, at that point I knew I’d lost! I got the call to say they were going to go into another direction, and I completely understood their decision. He’s a top-quality manager.
“There was no ill feeling from my end towards Unai or Newcastle. When I got the call the next day and they offered me the job after Unai turned it down, I was absolutely delighted. I realised what a big opportunity this was for me. I had no reservations towards the club about them leaning towards Unai initially, that’s football.
“Of course, as a human being you have those anxieties and fears stepping into a new role. You have to prove yourself all over again, you need to set your intentions early and try to inspire a new group of people to bring the club together. There was no doubt in my mind in taking the opportunity, I realised there would not be another opportunity for me like this and I couldn’t wait to get involved.”
Emery would return to England a year later with Villa, having been enticed by NSWE when it came to selling the Spaniard their ambitions and outlining exactly what they wanted to achieve. He, like Howe, has inspired a club not of the so-called 'Big Six' into the Champions League since his appointment. Speaking at the time, he explained why he'd politely declined Newcastle.
“The Newcastle project is an attractive project, something to build, different to Arsenal," Emery said. “With Arsenal, you first had to knock down the walls, which is hard work, then start to build again. Newcastle no, it was just about building, from the ground up. So it is different, and I liked the idea.
“The Premier League is an attractive league for all us coaches. So when Newcastle called me, I thought a lot about the opportunity to return to England, to a serious project. For me, it was a source of pride, satisfaction and I appreciated it. The opportunity of a club like Newcastle, what it could turn out to be, it is normal for me to listen to the offer, to consider it.
“I thought about the offer and I spoke with (Villarreal president) Fernando Roig but I also had to take into account that we were in the Champions League with Villarreal, mid-season. In the end, with a lot of respect for Villarreal, and a lot of respect for Newcastle, I decided to stay here. I am happy here and we are doing an important job.”
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