Amanda Staveley reveals Eddie Howe sliding doors moment that will stun Newcastle United fans

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Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has done wonders for the club since joining in 2021.

The Magpies are on the cusp of a first domestic trophy since 1955, and first major honour since 1969 thanks to Eddie Howe and his commitment to excellence at Newcastle United.

By no means has it been a straightforward journey over the last three years, however, with several roadblocks getting in the way of the club’s progress.

Howe has had to build a winning team while promising young players for the future were sold in order to stay ahead of the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules. Despite the struggles, Newcastle still find themselves sixth in the league table and a few days away from a second trip to Wembley Stadium in three seasons for the Carabao Cup final.

This season, Howe endured a rough start where Newcastle fans and pundits questioned his future at the club. Howe let the results on the pitch do the talking, winning nine straight games in all competitions.

Former Newcastle owner Amanda Staveley was a big reason why Howe was appointed head coach in 2021, but in a recent interview, she revealed it could have been a completely different story.

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Amanda Staveley was warned against appointing Eddie Howe

Staveley was a big presence at the club during her time as owner, regularly attending games alongside her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi. Staveley confirmed her Carabao Cup final attendance last week, with the 51-year-old set to be joined by her family in the capital.

It was revealed that Staveley was gifted tickets by Jamie Reuben, who owns a stake in Newcastle – showing the club still appreciates her, despite a frosty exit.

Howe has worked overtime at Newcastle’s training ground over the last week following a triple blow before the final. Anthony Gordon’s red card was not appealed while defenders Lewis Hall and Sven Botman are also out through injury.

Newcastle nearly appointed Unai Emery while he was at La Liga side Villareal. The Spaniard rejected the position in what turned out to be a monumental sliding doors moment for the club.

In an interview with the Athletic, Staveley revealed what she was told before appointing Howe by those close to her.

“He was so professional, he spoke with real eloquence, he showed intelligence and he was measured,” Staveley said about Howe’s Newcastle interview.

“He was just such a lovely guy, but he was incredibly well-prepared. It’s hard to interview; if you’re speaking to foreign coaches there can be a bit of a language barrier in certain areas and Eddie was just so far ahead of anyone else.

“You’re thinking, ‘S***, he was so good’, but the worry was Bournemouth had gone down in his previous job and we had a lot of people telling us, ‘He will get your team relegated’. I almost had a sense of shame that we went for anyone else. Ultimately, though, we got it right. We thought if he’d gone all the way to the top with Bournemouth then, with some real support, he could do it at Newcastle. I loved the fact he was so forensic. I mean this in the kindest way, but he’s obsessional.”

Howe was devastated when Staveley left Newcastle in 2024, with the Toon boss believing he had lost a close ally at the club during a bit period of change.

Eddie Howe’s future at Newcastle United

When all is said and done, Howe will go down as one of Newcastle’s best-ever managers. The 47-year-old dragged the club out of probable relegation to Champions League football in under two years.

Sunday’s Cup final could cement his legacy at Newcastle, but even if results don’t go their way fans should agree that Howe did everything in his power to bring success back to Tyneside.

On Wednesday, Newcastle’s five-year plan was revealed, with the aim to win more silverware and make firm progress on a new stadium on the cards.

The PIF are happy to continue with Howe at Newcastle, with Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan pleased with his performance so far. PIF still see Howe as the right person to take the club forward for the next five years, a trophy win on Sunday would do wonders to boost his stock with club officials.