Yasir Al-Rumayyan was taken by Eddie Howe very quickly during the interview process when hiring Newcastle's first manager post-takeover
Former Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley
Former Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley(Image: High Performance Podcast)
Former Newcastle United co-owner Amanda Staveley has revealed the key role club chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan played in the appointment of Eddie Howe, despite a lot of outside noise during the interview process.
Howe was appointed as Newcastle boss in November 2021 when the club was in the relegation zone and he has become the most successful manager in the club's modern history.
Under Howe's management the Magpies have twice qualified for the Champions League and ended a 70-year domestic wait to win a trophy when they won the Carabao Cup last season.
But he almost wasn't given the job as Unai Emery was seen as the frontrunner for the job while he was manager of Villarreal. As it transpired, Emery remained in Spain and Howe was given the job.
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And Staveley has opened up on how impressive Howe was during the interview process and how they trusted Al-Rumayyan's 'very good sense' when offering him the job, despite suggestions from some within football circles that he would steer the club toward relegation.
"We desperately wanted Eddie to come and join us," Staveley told the High Performance Podcast.
"To get Eddie we interviewed over 30 people and there were two outstanding candidates. Unai and Eddie and Eddie was just unbelievable.
"Obviously he had just been at Bournemouth who had been relegated so a lot of people were saying to me and a lot of agents were thinking we don't want Eddie because I don't get paid.
"So they were saying 'well that Eddie Howe guy, if you take him you'll be relegated. Amanda, I know that you're not very well versed in football, this is very new to you, you don't want to look stupid'.
"And so you'd say: 'Thank you, appreciate that'. So luckily, you've got to rely on your fantastic board which was there, which we had from day one and they were so good.
"And Yasir [Al-Rumayyan] has a very good sense and loved Eddie straight away and he didn't really get to speak to Unai. But it was the perfect manager, he's just extraordinary."