Former English Football Association"s technical director Dan Ashworth will become Newcastle United"s sporting director, the Premier League club said. The club said they had reached an agreement with league rivals Brighton & Hove Albion to release Ashworth, 51, from his current contractual obligations. Newcastle added that they would not disclose the terms of the agreement with Brighton and that the deal was subject to Premier League approval. Ashworth joined Brighton in 2018 after his tenure with the FA, during which the senior team reached the World Cup semi-finals in Russia in the same year of his departure. Newcastle ended 11th in the table this season. — Agencies