'This May Be My Last Job'

LONDON • Steve Bruce said his stint at Newcastle United could be his last managerial role after he left the club by "mutual consent" yesterday, following a poor start to their Premier League campaign and the takeover by a Saudi Arabian-backed consortium.

The 60-year-old, who has been the target of fans' ire since replacing Rafael Benitez in 2019, left with the team in 19th place and winless after eight league games.

"I think this might be my last job. It's not just about me; it's taken its toll on my family because they are all Geordies and I can't ignore that," he told The Telegraph.

"They've been worried about me, especially my wife Jan... She dealt with the death of my parents, hers have not been very well. And then she had me to worry about and what I've been going through the last couple of years.

"I'm 60 years old and I don't know if I want to put her through it again. We've got a good life so... this will probably be me done as a manager until I get a phone call from a chairman somewhere asking if I can give them a hand. Never say never, I've learnt that."

Bruce, a boyhood Newcastle fan, said the abuse directed at him by supporters was difficult to take since he took over two years ago. It was his 11th job as a manager, including two stints at Wigan.

He guided Newcastle to 13th-and 12th-place finishes in the league and helped them reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and the League Cup.

"To never really be wanted, to feel that people wanted me to fail, to read people constantly saying I would fail, that I was useless, a fat waste of space, a stupid, tactically inept cabbage head... And it was from day one," Bruce added.

"When we were doing OK results-wise, it was, 'Yeah but the style of football is rubbish' or I was just 'lucky'. It was ridiculous and persistent, even when results were good."

Bruce's departure was not a surprise as he had appeared to be on borrowed time after Newcastle was sold for £300 million (S$555.7 million) to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

He had said following the change of ownership that he would fight to keep his job and he was allowed to take charge of the 1,000th match in his managerial career when Newcastle hosted Tottenham in the league, losing 3-2 last Sunday.

But the signs were ominous, with Newcastle's new director Amanda Staveley saying "change does not always happen overnight".

The defeat by Spurs, attended by Staveley and others on the board, spoilt the takeover celebrations at St James' Park, with fans also calling for Bruce to be sacked as Newcastle slipped to their fifth league loss of the campaign.

Newcastle said Bruce's assistant Graeme Jones will lead the team on an interim basis, starting with Saturday's trip to Crystal Palace.

Sky Sports reported that former Roma coach Paulo Fonseca, who was on the radar of Tottenham earlier this year, was among a number of contenders for the job.

The Magpies have also been linked with former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard, ex-Borussia Dortmund boss Lucien Favre and Villarreal coach Unai Emery.

Tributes and thanks poured in after the announcement of Bruce's departure.

Newcastle winger Allan Saint-Maximin described his former boss as "one of the most gentle people".

"You've been a man of your word, a caring man and a fair man who never hesitated to protect us. I'll never forget how you treated me, for that I'll be forever grateful," he said.

"I know how tough it was for any manager at Newcastle for the last 14 years," club great Alan Shearer tweeted, referring to their turbulent spell under Mike Ashley.

"I also know how badly Steve and his family wanted it to work. In difficult circumstances for everybody, he kept #NUFC up for two seasons. It's a new era now, but thank you, Steve, for your effort and commitment."

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE