Newcastle United are bringing in a sports scientist, physiotherapist and psychologist for loans and recruitment to 'help develop future talents of the game'
Comments
Colin Clancy
Colin Clancy
There is a reason why Eddie Howe has previously spoken about the need to find 'untapped gems'. Never has that been more important for Newcastle United in a PSR world.
Just as Newcastle are targeting first-team ready additions, the Magpies are also looking at undervalued talent across Europe who can, in the words of Howe, 'become top players'. That does not happen overnight, of course.
Take new arrival Antonio Cordero. This is a Spain under-19 international with immense potential, but Newcastle recognise that the winger needs a loan in the next stage of his development - just as Yankuba Minteh did after joining the Magpies a couple of years ago.
A lot can happen when a player spends time away from the club - not all spells are as successful as Minteh's was at Feyenoord before his £30m move to Brighton - but Newcastle want to do all they can to ensure these stints actually aid development rather than stunting progress.
This means putting structures and processes in place so that prospects continue to receive specialist support from the club in all areas of performance. Hence why Newcastle are bringing in a sports scientist, physiotherapist and psychologist for loans and recruitment to 'help develop future talents of the game' as performance director James Bunce put it.
Among those who will be joining the club this summer is Colin Clancy, who served as the head of physical performance at Scottish side Hibernian, following a previous spell at Middlesbrough's academy.
"After a fantastic 8 years, last season was my last with Hibernian FC," Newcastle's new loans sports scientist wrote. "I’d like to thank all the brilliant staff, coaches and players I’ve worked with in my time at Hibs for making the experience what it was.
"Cup finals, European games and derby wins have been the obvious highlights - but it’s the day to day in the gym and on the grass with good people I’ll remember most fondly.
"I am excited to be heading back to the north east to begin an exciting new role with Newcastle United."
Clancy will provide support to prospective loan players before they are even sent out - delivering field and gym-based sessions when required so that they are prepared for what is to come - as well as assisting with the identification of suitable host clubs to ensure these sides mirror Newcastle's physical and playing profile.
Once these players' moves are secured, Clancy will coordinate visits, check-ups and performance assessments; make sure there are consistent and effective communication lines and timely data collections; and collate progress reports.
Newcastle are set to make more high-profile on-the-field additions this summer, but Clancy and the club's new loans staff will have their part to play in the years ahead, too.
Here at ChronicleLive, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Newcastle United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest NUFC news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Everything is Black and White podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube