Steve Nickson was understated at Newcastle United but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have any impact
09:00, 16 Jun 2026Updated 09:08, 16 Jun 2026
Steve Nickson and Andy Howe
Newcastle United held friendly exit talks with Steve Nickson after it became clear the long-serving head of scouting wanted to quit.
Club sources have denied claims that there has been a power struggle behind the scenes, though there is no doubt that Nickson’s remit has changed in recent years.
More so, however, the 61-year-old’s departure coincides with recent personnel changes at Benton, following a dramatic shift in the recruitment department.
Nickson’s promotion from youth scout under previous recruitment chief Graham Carr to Rafa Benitez’s main senior man behind the scenes was rapid, but it was down to his hard-working nature at United following his arrival from Blackburn Rovers.
One source told Chronicle Live: “His nickname used to be 24/7 behind the scenes, because he used to like the job done properly.”
And ask anybody who has ever scouted, they will tell you their aim is to provide the manager with every detail on a player before giving the green light to sign them.
Nickson would meticulously review everything from staff expenses to scouting reports from his band of talent spotters, but was loyal to the football club for 15 years.
Nickson would often embark on scouting missions at weekends and even brave the last LNER train to Central Station, carefully weaving his way through well-served travelling fans, many of them oblivious that the bloke who signed Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes had just waltzed past them after another trek south or abroad!
That’s why there was no animosity when Chronicle Live broke the news that West Ham had him on their shortlist yesterday morning. Nickson worked his socks off for the Toon cause and gave everything he could to the club – of that there can be absolutely no doubt.
Just like Anthony Gordon leaves Newcastle as a better player, Nickson leaves Newcastle as a better scout but it was becoming obvious that his role was changing.
That said, Nickson was always more than just a chief scout, given he has a sporting director qualification in the bag and perhaps, unluckily, never got that opportunity at Newcastle.
A lot of claims were made in the aftermath of Nickson’s exit being confirmed yesterday, with some suggesting the recent top players Newcastle had signed weren’t his picks. But for a man who has signed Ayoze Perez, Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Allan Saint-Maximin, Miguel Almiron and Sven Botman to name a few, he leaves with a wonderful record that should be celebrated.
However, even if more recent deals weren’t his picks, he would have meticulously cast an eye on them from the lonely position of talent spotter in a stand somewhere in Europe before making the long journey back to file his notes to head coach Eddie Howe or punch the information into the database.
The landscape is changing quickly at Newcastle, and not so long ago, Nickson and his staff were working in poky Portakabins in an unused gravel car park. That was the scene on a chilly November morning when Howe got to grips with early life as Newcastle boss.
Fast forward from 2021 to 2026, and the Portakabins are long gone, and plush new offices have taken their place, while the scouting department is now based at the Northumberland FA’s old Blue Flames offices.
Nickson had his own office in the upgraded building at Benton, but so did his assistant – and now football executive – Andy Howe.
Howe’s nephew has appeared at away games in club attire, but whether it is a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth is unclear, and only Nickson could really answer that.
Sporting director Ross Wilson is also firmly at the wheel now, and early on during his stint in charge, he introduced Thomas Federspiel from his Nottingham Forest days, a well-renowned scout who has expertise in South America, where he is based now. Was that a possible clash with Nickson, who also has magnificent contacts in Brazil and Argentina too?
Again, only Nickson could really answer that, but the man who has never courted headlines or done interviews during a decade and a half probably won’t. His actions were always louder than words, and if he does end up at West Ham, perhaps check who the Hammers sign, because that could have been a player he had in mind for the Magpies.
As Nickson started to talk about an exit plan – with his notice period seemingly set to take in the rest of the summer – Newcastle advertised for a Lead Recruitment Data Analyst. Life after the super scout is already seemingly under way.
Upgrade your World Cup TV setup with the Sky Glass ‘designed for football’
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
from £4.50
Sky
Sky is knocking 20% off its entire range of Glass TVs to mark the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to the Sky smart TV that’s ‘designed for football’ from £4.50 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.