Steve Bruce names the manager who came ‘close’ to becoming Newcastle United boss before Eddie Howe

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Newcastle United have enjoyed a great period under Eddie Howe, but Steve Bruce recommended another option.

November marks four years since Eddie Howe was appointed as Newcastle United manager.

Howe has guided Newcastle into the Champions League on two occasions and ended the club’s lengthy trophy drought.

Questions have been asked of Howe in the early stages of this season, but there is no doubting that he has been an exceptional appointment.

Newcastle took a chance on Howe despite his relegation with Bournemouth, and the Magpies have certainly been rewarded.

Steve Bruce admits recommending Steven Gerrard to Newcastle United

PIF’s 2021 takeover was always going to bring enormous change to Newcastle.

Steve Bruce felt the effects of the takeover almost immediately as he was axed from his post as Newcastle boss.

Howe came in to take the reins, but Bruce had other ideas about his successor on Tyneside.

Speaking to The Good, The Bad & The Football, Bruce admitted recommending a move for Steven Gerrard.

Bruce told PIF that they had to let him go in order to bring positivity to Newcastle, and felt Gerrard could be the right man.

Bruce claims that Gerrard was ‘close’ to becoming Newcastle manager, but Howe – another manager Bruce recommended – won the race.

“I had to say to them, listen, the only negative now in the club is me. So you’ve got to do the honourable thing and get somebody else in who can take you forward,” said Bruce.

“Because if I’m going to stay, the negativity around the place. And I recommended Steven Gerrard, who I believe was close at the time to taking it. And Eddie, because I think Eddie at Bournemouth had done a magnificent job and all the rest of it. So I’m going to take a little bit of that one,” he added.

Newcastle United made the right decision over Steven Gerrard

We can understand why Bruce recommended Gerrard at the time.

During the 2020-21 season, Gerrard won the Scottish Premiership title at Rangers without losing a single game.

The former Liverpool midfielder was in demand as a manager, and it was only natural for Newcastle to be interested.

Gerrard has failed to kick on since that Rangers spell, though, as he lasted less than a year in charge of Aston Villa.

Gerrard then spent 18 months in charge of Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq and won 39% of his games.

Now out of management since January, Gerrard recently snubbed the chance to return to Rangers.

It’s unclear when Gerrard’s managerial career will kickstart again, and Newcastle can certainly feel comfortable with the decision to appoint Howe instead.