Jones joins Newcastle United coaching staff
"I'm proud to be here at the team I supported as a boy" - Jones
Written by Training Ground Guru — January 27, 2021
GRAEME JONES has left Bournemouth after five months to become assistant manager at boyhood club Newcastle United.
The Gateshead-born coach will join Steve Agnew and Stephen Clemence as assistants to Steve Bruce at St James’s Park.
He said: "I'm proud to be here at the team I supported as a boy, and all of my life. During my playing and coaching career, it has always been the first result I would look for after my own.
"Now, I've hopefully got a chance to have a direct influence on results and the future of the football club, which is something I'm very excited for."
Bruce added: "I'm delighted to welcome Graeme on board. He is vastly experienced and I could tell speaking to him that he is hugely passionate about the club and very keen to join us.
"He is from here but has been away for 35 years so the opportunity to come in and give us a hand is one he has jumped at."
Jones represented clubs including Doncaster Rovers, Wigan Athletic, St Johnstone and Southend during a 15-year playing career before becoming assistant to former team-mate Roberto Martinez at Wigan, Everton and with Belgium.
He left the Red Devils to return to the UK in 2018, first joining West Brom as assistant and then Luton Town as manager. He left Kenilworth Road in April 2020 and had been assistant to Jason Tindall at Bournemouth since August last year.
“I am here to offer a neutral opinion,” the 50-year-old told Newcastle’s official website. “I have seen lots of different styles and approaches.
“The big thing for me is always to try and control games with the ball… (but) if you haven’t got the best players in the league you have to be a little bit pragmatic.
“I am hoping to use all those experiences to try and get a style of play that benefits Newcastle United.”
Meanwhile, Academy Head of Coaching Ben Dawson is to remain with the Magpies' first team until the end of this season.
