NEWCASTLE NOTEBOOK: The search for Dan Ashworth’s replacement approaches its final phase, Lewis Miley is set to miss the rest of the season… while Toon stars celebrated Spurs win with the Wealdstone Raider!

Newcastle’s players celebrated last Saturday’s 4-0 win over Tottenham in the company of The Wealdstone Raider, their unofficial minder for the night.

Not sure who he is? Real name Gordon Hill, he went viral on social media 11 years ago when, supporting non-League Wealdstone FC, he was involved in an exchange with a rival fan in which he repeatedly – and somewhat comedically – asked, ‘You want some?’. The video has been viewed 23 million times.

The Raider – 5ft 2ins tall – is also available for hire and, as part of goalkeeper Mark Gillespie’s stag do, he travelled to the North-East for a night on the Toon with a few of the team. They all chipped in to cover the cost.

The word is the Newcastle boys were thrilled to see the 58-year-old and he played along for pics and video with the Premier League stars. There were no reports of any trouble, and nor was there likely to be with the Raider in tow.

Several stars chipped in as The Raider came to be part of goalkeeper Mark Gillespie’s stag do

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Three-man shortlist for top role

The club’s search for a new sporting director is approaching the phase of final interviews.

As Notebook revealed on March 8, Newcastle have hired the internationally renowned Odgers Berndtson to lead the recruitment drive.

We understand some candidates have now had as many as three interviews, and among those spoken to are ex-Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell, Benfica’s Rui Pedro Braz and former Roma chief Tiago Pinto.

Odgers, with industry experts Euan Frizzell and Simon Cummins, have led the search and interviews have been conducted with representatives from PIF, PCP Capital Partners and club executives. However, candidates are yet to meet with club chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan. That will be the final step and we are told that a three-man shortlist will now be formalised.

Once a decision is made, it should accelerate negotiations between Newcastle and Manchester United over the compensation package for Dan Ashworth, who remains on gardening leave ahead of his proposed move to Old Trafford.

Newcastle’s search to replace Dan Ashworth as Sporting Director approaches its final stage

Lewis Miley is set to rest ahead of the summer to allow last month’s back injury to heal

Miley set for rest period

Mail Sport reported this week that Joe Willock will sit out the remainder of the season, and we understand he’ll now be joined by Lewis Miley.

Willock has lingering pain in his Achilles and the decision has been taken for him to rest in the hope of the issue clearing ahead of pre-season.

Miley, meanwhile, suffered a back injury training with England Under-20s last month. Like Willock, the midfielder could, in theory, play before the end of the campaign. The 17-year-old is said to feel good and has avoided serious injury.

However, sources say it’s almost certain that Miley will rest ahead of the summer, allowing the injury to fully heal. There is also the consideration of a breakthrough season in which he has appeared 26 times and the need to protect a talent so young. As has been seen with fellow academy graduate Elliot Anderson, back problems in young players need time and Newcastle do not want to rush Miley.

In better news, Callum Wilson could make the bench at Crystal Palace on Wednesday after returning to training this week following a pectoral injury, but Kieran Trippier may need a little longer in his recovery from a calf problem.

Big in Japan? 

Newcastle’s proposed pre-season tour of the USA is far from certain and various other options are being considered, including Japan.

A proposal for some friendlies against fellow Premier League clubs on the East Coast of the United States did appear the frontrunner a few weeks ago.

But staff have also sourced options in Asia and Japan is being explored, although nothing is final at this stage. The only Newcastle team to play in Japan returned victorious in June of 1983, with Kevin Keegan among a side to lift the Japan Cup, featuring Botafogo (Brazil), Yamaha (Japan) and Syria.

Howe and his players would no doubt prefer a repeat of two years ago, when a week in Austria formed the springboard for them finishing fourth in the Premier League. However, commercial pressures mean long-haul tours are often more lucrative.

Kevin Keegan was in the only Newcastle team to play in Japan, winning the Japan Cup in 1983

Saudia ties strengthen

On the subject of commercial revenue, the club’s airline partner Saudia were on Tyneside this week showcasing a Formula E car, with its logos and those of the Public Investment Fund on the vehicle.

A film crew were with the car at various locations in the city and it follows a visit by a club delegation to the Formula-E World Championship in Riyadh in January, an event for which Saudia are a leading partner.

Saudia’s relationship with the club continues to grow and it would be no surprise if they were at the front of the queue were naming rights for St James’ Park to be floated in the future.

Sela donation

The initiative that saw Sela donate Newcastle’s front-of-shirt sponsorship to the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID) proved a huge success during the win over Spurs.

And we can reveal that senior representatives from Fifa, Uefa and the European Clubs Association were at St James’ Park to witness the occasion and sample the technology of the ‘haptic’ kits, which vibrate as the match action unfolds.

Sela will continue to provide the kits for deaf supporters to wear at all future home games, and it is hoped other clubs and associations will now follow suit.

Sela will continue to provide ‘haptic’ kits for deaf supporters to wear at all future home games 

Toon teaser…

Finally, it’s Toon Teaser time… I was away in Italy last week so there was no Notebook, but the previous Friday I’d asked you to name the 11 players to have appeared for Newcastle and both Milan clubs. The answers were; Santon, Martins, Emre, Pistone, Lazaro (Inter) and Tomasson, Onyewu, Andersson, Coloccini, Kluivert, Tonali (Milan).

This week, we want you to name the SIX players who have appeared over two spells for Newcastle in the Premier League (note: players returning from loan spells do not count and the six must have played in the Premier League during both spells).

The answers will be revealed on Friday evening on our new NUFC-dedicated WhatsApp channel. It’s free and is available HERE