Newcastle's 'exceptional' CEO was Levy's no2 at Tottenham and helped sell Bale

The Magpies added Dan Ashworth as sporting director earlier in the summer, and on Friday, they announced Darren Eales as the latest off-field recruit.

Newcastle might have the richest owners in the world - although that is unlikely to make them the wealthiest club for a long time. So they want to do this properly and not just splash the cash recklessly.

Eales has been in football for a long time and has built a massive reputation.

But what can Newcastle fans expect from their new CEO? talkSPORT.com decided to take a look.

Who is Darren Eales?

Darren Eales is a former striker turned football director and CEO born in Chelmsford.

Eales is married to Faith Eales and the couple have two sons - Edmund and James.

The 49-year-old grew up in Cambridge and was approached by an American university scout, who offered him the chance to play football and study for a career after retirement.

He headed to the USA and attended Browns University, where he played football for Hampton Roads Mariners and Hershey Wildcats.

He proved prolific for the Mariners, scoring 24 goals in 19 matches before heading back to England.

He also played college football and was named the Ivy League Player of the Year in 1994.

But Eales decided to change career paths and studied law at Cambridge University, and passed the bar exam in 2000.

He continued to play amateur football while practising as a lawyer, but his professional career was over.

Then came his first break when West Bromwich Albion appointed the former striker as legal counsel for the club.

Eales' early career in football

The former Tottenham Hotspur employee has been working in football for 16 years for clubs on both sides of the pond.

West Brom appointed him in 2006, and he worked with Dan Ashworth for four years, mainly operating in a legal capacity and dealing with off-field matters.

Then came a move to Tottenham and a new role for the Englishman as he became Spurs' executive director.

This meant he was in charge of the club's strategy, transfers, the academy and pretty much anything else to do with the club.

He was Daniel Levy's no2 and picked up tricks of the trade from one of the best negotiators around.

On one night in Moscow, he even managed to convince Levy to take part in some karaoke!

During Eales' time with the north London side, Spurs finished in the top six every season and managed to recruit the likes of Rafael van der Vaart, Hugo Lloris and Mauricio Pochettino.

He also was part of the negotiating team that secured a world-record fee for Gareth Bale in 2013, when he joined Real Madrid.

So at Tottenham, he started to establish himself, but it was at Atlanta where his reputation sky-rocketed.

Eales at Atlanta United

In 2014, the Tottenham director was approached by new MLS franchise Atlanta United to become their president.

He essentially built the club from scratch, and in 2018, they became MLS Cup winners.

As club president, the 49-year-old masterminded a move to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, ensuring Atlanta are ranked in the top 15 for global football attendance.

He has been named MLS Executive of the Year twice and was often spotted with fans at the club's tailgates before and after games.

Eales also managed to get Mike Ashley to part with a then club-record fee for Miguel Almiron in January 2019 and established a club partnership with Aberdeen.

So Newcastle have appointed a serious operator with tremendous experience and is now ready to work with the Magpies from August 22.

Darren Eales: What has been said?

Eales is excited and ready to get to work at Newcastle: "Newcastle United is both a giant of a club, and the heartbeat of its community. Every time I have visited St. James' Park, I've been overwhelmed by the passion of the fans.

"This is a club with an amazingly rich heritage, and I am delighted to be joining for this new chapter in its long history.

"I am grateful for the opportunity, and look forward to working with the rest of the team to help this storied club fulfil its potential."

Newcastle's ownership group said: "We are delighted to announce Darren Eales as the club's new CEO. He is an exceptional leader and is a great fit for Newcastle United.

"We have conducted an exhaustive recruitment process to ensure we identified and secured the right individual for the CEO position, and we are confident we have found that person in Darren.

"He has a deep understanding of the football industry and what it takes to achieve growth and success, and he will be a key member of the club's leadership team as we look to deliver on the club's potential on and off the pitch."