The Newcastle United squad met with chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan in Riyadh, where the PIF chief delivered a message to Eddie Howe and his team.
The Magpies are currently in Saudi Arabia for a warm weather training camp, as they prepare for domestic football to return after the World Cup.
Howe’s side are training in the baking sun, while they also have a friendly organised against Al-Hilal on Thursday evening.
The trip is a chance for the players to get back up to speed after a lengthy break, while it is also a chance for commercial opportunities. Darren Eales and Peter Silverstone have reportedly been working behind the scenes in Riyadh to agree new sponsorship deals for the club.
It also allowed the squad and staff to link up with the chairman, who welcomed the team into his home earlier this week.
Toon boss Howe has now spoke about meeting Al-Rumayyan in his home, and shared what the governor of PIF told him and his team ahead of the rest of the season.
Yasir Al-Rumayyan’s message to Newcastle
Ahead of the game against Al-Hilal, Howe spoke to the media that has made the journey to Riyadh. And he provided details on the meeting with Al-Rumayyan.
“It was a special moment for the chairman to welcome us to his home,” Howe said, as reported by the Daily Mail.
“It wasn’t underestimated by us, it was a really nice gesture. It’s not every day that you have that invitation, so we were humbled to accept it.
“He was really good with us, communicated his thoughts and visions on the future. I really enjoyed spending time with him and his family. He was very welcoming and open, and I’m sure the players feel the same way. He was very good with them. He interacts and talks with them in a really good way.
“I think he’s very much for the team. He wants to acknowledge that and bring everyone together. He speaks really well and honestly, and I’m sure the players appreciated his words. It was, ‘Well done, but we want more, we’re very ambitious’. I think that’s what the players want to hear.
“He’s been really pleased watching the team, how it’s fought for everything. They were team messages, but very effective messages. I think it was an acknowledgement from him to the staff as well. It was just nice for everyone to share that moment.”
PIF chief wants even more from Newcastle
Al-Rumayyan’s nine-word message that Howe shared is very powerful. ‘We want more’.
This comes at a time when Newcastle are third in the Premier League, having looked certain to go down last season. They have only lost one game this season – the controversial 2-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.
This season could not be going much better for the Magpies, and there is more to come with Allan Saint-Maximin and Alexander Isak set to return.
But still PIF want more. They are very ambitious. And that is why this incredible journey could get even more exciting in the coming years.
While the supporters are loving every minute right now, the owners want this to become the norm. They want the club to always be challenging at the top and looking to win silverware.
And that is an alien concept for a fanbase that is still nursing the wounds of the Mike Ashley era.
But for Howe, he feels like someone who will rise to the chairman’s challenge. He will also want more, and is also very ambitious.
Can the players deliver more? They certainly haven’t let us down yet.
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