Reporter says insiders are shocked as Elliott Dickman leaves Newcastle

Add as preferred source on Google

After just over a year at the club, Elliott Dickman has left his position as Newcastle United.

The 44-year-old was actually the first hire made by the new owners. Dickman was named the Under-21s Lead Player Development Coach in October 2021, just three weeks after Mike Ashley sold the club to Amanda Staveley and co.

It was the first major change at St James’ Park made by the consortium, although Dickman had been in talks to make the move before the takeover went through.

He made the controversial move from Sunderland to Newcastle, and got to work with the Toon youngsters.

When he was appointed, Steve Harper spoke about his excitement at having Dickman join the youth setup on Tyneside. But 14 months later and he is gone.

The club announced on December 30th that he had left, thanking him for his ‘hard work and professionalism‘.

It came as a real surprise for fans, and it turns out that feeling is shared behind the scenes.

Ross Gregory on Elliott Dickman leaving Newcastle

The Shields Gazette reporter Ross Gregory has spoke to NUFC Matters on YouTube, and addressed Dickman’s recent departure.

“I’ve asked around on this one over the last 24-48 hours and I’ve not heard many new names,” Gregory said.

“I think this one came as a real surprise. I think it came out of the blue, Elliott Dickman’s departure from the club. Certainly speaking to a couple of people in the know, it was a surprise and a shock to them.

“I do assume that the club have got a plan in place, I don’t think they would have just parted company with Elliott Dickman without having a plan in place.

“Dan Ashworth will head this up and take the lead role of getting a replacement in for the under-21s.”

Huge shock going into the New Year

Newcastle now begin 2023 with more changes afoot. The youth setup is being completely revamped by the new owners, and it looked like Dickman was a part of that as the first arrival.

However, his time at Newcastle is already over. The search for his successor begins now, with the club stating that Neil Winskill will oversee Under-21s training until they confirm a new coaching lineup.

Hopefully some more information surrounding this comes out in the near future. Did Dickman choose to leave? Or did the club make the decision for him? Perhaps it was a joint effort.

But Dickman has now gone, and Sporting Director Dan Ashworth will be working to decide who takes his place. The academy has a massive role to play in the club’s future, with Ashworth looking to build a system that allows players to rise through the ranks with ease.

We have already seen plenty of young players arrive at the club over the past year. The likes of Alex Murphy and Jude Smith joined in the summer, while Garang Kuol is our first signing of 2023. They are players with bright futures, but they need the right environment to develop. That is a vital part of Ashworth’s job.

Seeing Dickman leave just before we waved goodbye to 2022 came as a shock, but fingers crossed it proves to be the right decision for all involved.