rewrite this title Newcastle United: Ross Wilson appointed sporting director after triggering Nottingham Forest release clause

Newcastle United have appointed Ross Wilson as sporting director after triggering his Nottingham Forest release clause.

Wilson, formerly of Southampton and Rangers, fills the role vacated by Paul Mitchell at the end of last season after being identified by the Newcastle board as the right candidate to lead the club’s recruitment and sporting strategy.

The 41-year-old departs his role as Forest’s chief football officer after two and a half years at the City Ground. Both clubs say the “terms of his release will remain confidential”.

Head coach Eddie Howe is said to be excited about the prospect of working with Wilson, who is seen as someone who can continue to grow the club off the pitch and ensure Newcastle can compete in every way possible.

At the clubs Wilson has led, he has helped to build structures, put new procedures in place that directly benefit the football side of the business and implement a clear, aligned strategy moving forward.

“This is such a special club, and I fully understand the passion, ambition and expectations of our incredible supporters, as well as the ambition and desire of our ownership to keep developing and building an even stronger Newcastle United,” said Wilson.

“My conversations with ownership have been extremely positive, and I’ve also been in regular contact with Eddie Howe and David Hopkinson. The trust, cohesion and alignment we’re building already feels strong, and we believe that being united as a team will be so important as we continue to move the club forward together.”

Van Dijk among Wilson’s best signings at former clubs

Wilson will be responsible for Newcastle’s recruitment – but what can fans expect? We’ve picked out some of his best signings in his previous roles:

Virgil van Dijk

The Liverpool captain signed for Southampton from Celtic for £13m in the summer of 2015 before selling him to the Premier League champions for £75m less than three years later.

Elliot Anderson

Newcastle fans will be hoping Wilson can work his magic to bring the England midfielder back to the North East after PSR concerns forced them to sell him to Nottingham Forest for £35m in the summer of 2024.

Callum Hudson-Odoi

Forest signed the winger from Chelsea for a fee of less than £5m in the summer of 2023 and revived his career as he played a crucial role in their return to Europe.

Nikola Milenkovic

The Serbian defender was signed by Forest for just £12m last summer and was one of the Premier League’s top performers in his first campaign at the club.

Anthony Elanga

Wilson will be reunited with Elanga at Newcastle, having brought him to Forest from Man Utd for just £15m in the summer of 2023.