Eddie Howe leaves Newcastle United as one of the most influential managers in the club’s modern history after transforming the Magpies from a team battling relegation into domestic trophy winners and regular contenders for European football.
Appointed in November 2021 following the club’s Saudi-backed takeover, Howe inherited a Newcastle side sitting in the Premier League relegation zone without a league win. He masterminded a remarkable turnaround, guiding the club to safety before finishing 11th in his first season, making Newcastle the first Premier League side to avoid relegation after failing to win any of its opening 14 league matches.
The 2022/23 season marked a major breakthrough as Howe led Newcastle to a fourth-place finish, securing the club’s first UEFA Champions League qualification in two decades. He also guided the Magpies to the EFL Cup final, their first major domestic cup final since 1999.
Although Newcastle exited the Champions League at the group stage the following season, Howe continued to build a competitive squad. His greatest achievement came in the 2024/25 campaign when Newcastle defeated Liverpool to win the EFL Cup, ending the club’s 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy. The triumph also made Howe the first English manager in over two decades to win one of England’s major domestic honours.
Howe leaves Newcastle after nearly five years in charge and 231 matches, having restored belief, ambition and success at St James’ Park. His tenure will be remembered as the period that revived one of England’s most historic football clubs and laid the foundation for its return among the country’s elite.
