Dawson returns to U21 role as Newcastle continue Academy revamp
Written by Training Ground Guru — February 3, 2023
BEN DAWSON has returned to the role of Under-21s Lead at Newcastle as the club continue to reshape their Academy under new Sporting Director Dan Ashworth.
Dawson has agreed to take the role on a permanent basis after overseeing United's recent U21 fixtures following the departure of Elliott Dickman last month.
Meanwhile, Neil Winskill, who has been Head of Coach Development for the last 18 months, will assist Dawson as Professional Development Coach and Methodology Lead.
The club say the recruitment process for the new Head of Coach Development “is still ongoing and will be announced in due course.”
Dawson joined Newcastle as a PDP coach in 2014, before becoming U21s Lead from January 2018 to June 2019. During that time he guided the side to the final of the Premier League Cup and the Premier League 2 Division Two play-offs.
He then became the Academy's Head of Coaching and first-team Development Coach in July 2021.
Dawson said: "I'm delighted to be given the opportunity and responsibility of leading the under-21s once again and hope that my recent experiences with the first team can help align the professional development phase to the first team.
"Covering the role alongside Neil on an interim basis has allowed me to see the significant and positive changes that have happened at the Academy and evidence how rapidly the club is progressing across all departments.
"I'm looking forward to putting into practice what I've learned during my time with the first team."
Ashworth added: "Ben is an outstanding coach. He understands the Newcastle United DNA and he knows better than anyone what is required for players to make the step into Eddie Howe's first team squad.
"It's brilliant for the club and our young players that we have someone so aligned with the first team that can help our young players make that next step."
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