Former Newcastle United coach making headlines with Manager of the Month award in Portugal

Add as preferred source on Google

Newcastle United have come on leaps and bounds over the last three-and-a-half years or so.

Indeed, Newcastle United are now looking up. A Carabao Cup final awaits, while a deep run in the FA Cup and qualification for the Champions League through the Premier League are also genuine possibilities.

Newcastle were taken over by PIF back in October 2021 and the story has since been about the club’s upward trajectory, albeit there have been frustrations about the inability to spend given the Premier League’s PSR rules.

Newcastle boast the ninth-most valuable squad in world football and look a different entity that the one who struggled to simply survive in the top flight under Mike Ashley.

Still, it’s not only the club who have moved on. Some of the figures who worked at Newcastle during those difficult years have found success elsewhere.

One of those is Ian Cathro, formerly an assistant coach at Newcastle under both Steve McClaren and Rafa Benitez.

Ex-Newcastle United coach Ian Cathro wins Manager of the Month award in Portugal

Cathro joined Newcastle in 2015 but left in December of 2016 in order to take the Hearts job.

The Scotsman lasted less than a year with the Edinburgh side before joining Nuno Espirito Santo as an assistant at both Wolves and Tottenham, having worked with the current-Nottingham Forest boss earlier in his career.

In 2024, the 38-year-old was appointed as manager of Portuguese side Estoril and has now won the Manager of the Month award in the Portuguese top flight, with his side winning all five of their games so far in 2025.

Former Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez shuts one door on potential management return

Cathro’s old boss Benitez will likely always be a popular figure on Tyneside, so any updates on his career will continue to be newsworthy to most Newcastle fans.

The Spaniard seemingly hasn’t retired from the managerial game but has been out of since leaving Celta Vigo last year.

Still, Benitez recently rejected the chance to become the next Botafogo manager after talks with his family about a potential move to Brazil.

It remains to be seen where he goes next…