Former England Head of Psychology Mitchell joins Newcastle United
Dr Ian Mitchell: Has worked with the Wales and England national teams
Written by Training Ground Guru — October 19, 2023
FORMER England Head of Psychology Dr Ian Mitchell has joined Newcastle United.
The move reunites him with Newcastle Sporting Director Dan Ashworth, who was Technical Director at the English Football Association during Mitchell’s time there.
Mitchell has been working for the Football Association of Wales since April, having previously worked there from 2014 to 2018. After that he spent five years with the English FA, latterly as their Head of Performance Psychology.
The former Hereford United player also worked with Swansea City during their time in the Premier League. Mitchell will continue to work with Wales' senior men's side for the remainder of their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, despite having joined Newcastle.
He said: "I was delighted to return to the FAW in a new role as head of performance psychology to develop and lead a strategy across the association.
"However, the opportunity to join a big Premier League club such as Newcastle United at this exciting time and competing in the Champions League, has resulted in my decision to leave the association on a full-time basis.
"Nonetheless, I am really pleased to continue with my role with the men's national team for the remainder of the European Championship campaign and support the wider high-performance strategy."
Ashworth said: "I am delighted to welcome Ian to Newcastle United, where he will fulfil a hugely important role for staff and players.
"Psychology is a crucial part of the modern game and to recruit someone of Ian's standing and experience in sport, and in particular football, is very pleasing.
"We are committed to supporting our people, ensuring our staff and players feel fully supported and equipped for the unique challenges of elite-level sports."
Mitchell is Newcastle’s first Head of Psychology. Major changes have been happening behind the scenes at the club since Ashworth arrived in June 2022.
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