The Magpies have made an astute appointment as they look to boost recruitment department

19:31, 07 Dec 2025Updated 19:37, 07 Dec 2025

Newcastle United Sporting Director Ross Wilson (L)Newcastle United Sporting Director Ross Wilson (left)(Image: 2025 Newcastle United)

Newcastle United have swooped to appoint Thomas Federspiel as the club’s new scouting supremo.

The 60-year-old has confirmed the news on his Instagram account and has now departed Nottingham Forest to team up with Ross Wilson.

Federspeil said: “I’m really excited to be part of Newcastle United’s scouting department as their new first team and global talent scout for Brazil, Ecuador and Colombia.

“A fantastic new challenge at one of England’s most historical clubs.”

The talent spotter’s background includes stints at Forest, Bayer Leverkusen, Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim and Borussia Monchengladbach.

Wilson himself distanced himself from jet-setting last week when he said: “I want to be really, really open – I am not some type of superstar scout that goes all over the place, flying here, there, and everywhere. That’s not me.

“What I see myself as is somebody who sits in the middle of an organisation from a football perspective.

“Whether it’s what we do with our men’s team with Eddie Howe, whether it’s what we do with our women’s team with Grace Wlliams, James Bunce is an incredible support, we have Steve Nickson and Andy Howe working in scouting, right across the board we’ve got really good people working with us.

“We want to be raising the bar, and we want to be bigger as an organisation. That’s how I see the job.”

German scout Federspiel has already started work for Newcastle as they look to lure some top names to Tyneside. Former Rangers and Southampton sporting director arrived at Newcastle after United took advantage of a clause in his contract at Nottingham Forest.

And the Scot told Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis he could not resist a relocation to the North East.

Now he is getting his team in place at Benton as the club look to push on in the transfer market.

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