Dan Ashworth breaks silence on departure as Newcastle United wait on appointment

Ashworth resigned from his position as technical director this week.

And the 50-year-old is on a period of gardening leave before he takes up a “similar role at another Premier League club”.

Newcastle have made no comment on Ashworth’s departure, though United head coach Eddie Howe today said he would “embrace” the appointment of a director of football.

“It was a really difficult decision,” Ashworth told Brighton’s official website. “I thought about it for a long time and thought about it really seriously, because I wasn’t looking for a job.

"I didn’t apply for the job and I have been really happy at Brighton. It’s a brilliant club, it’s really well run, there’s really good people to work with and Tony (Bloom, Brighton owner) and Paul (Barber, the club’s chief executive) run it in the right way.

“You talk sometimes about jobs having push or pull factors, there were no push factors. It was nothing like ‘if only I could change this’. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Brighton, living in the city and the area.

"The support I have had from staff and supporters, players and everyone has been excellent.

"It’s been an incredibly tough decision. When I have left jobs before, it’s felt like the right time, or there have been push factors, but certainly that wasn’t the case here, and I can only speak favourably about the club, the structure and the people here.”

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