Newcastle United chief executive Darren Eales will step down from his position after being diagnosed with a chronic form of blood cancer, the club has confirmed.
Eales, 52, joined Newcastle in August 2022 and will continue in his role until a successor is appointed.
“Being CEO of Newcastle United is an extraordinary privilege and I am incredibly proud to be part of the club’s exciting journey,” Eales said.
“However, it has become apparent to me that now is the right time to make this decision so that I can prioritise my health and my family.”
Eales was appointed within the first year of Newcastle’s £305m Saudi Arabian-backed takeover.
In the period since his arrival, the club reached its first domestic cup final in 24 years in the 2022-23 Carabao Cup and last season returned to the Champions League after Eddie Howe’s side finished fourth in the Premier League.
Newcastle announced the appointment of Paul Mitchell as their sporting director in July after Dan Ashworth left for Manchester United, which followed the departure of co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi.
“In the short term, it will be business as usual in terms of running the club’s day-to-day operations, and I will give my full support to a transitionary period that will enable the board to carefully assess and appoint my successor,” Eales said.
“I want to extend my sincere thanks to the club’s supporters, ownership, players and staff. I’m proud of what we have collectively achieved and I’m excited to see what’s ahead for everyone as the club builds towards a future of sustained success.”
Newcastle United Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan thanked Eales for the “significant contribution” he has made during his time at the club, “helping to build a strong foundation for Newcastle United’s success”.
“All of us who are connected with Newcastle United are very saddened by this news. Our thoughts are with Darren and his family and we send him every good wish for a full recovery,” Al-Rumayyan said.
“We will work closely with Darren to hand over the CEO role at the appropriate moment following a carefully considered search process, and he will continue to have the full support of the board and the Newcastle United family now and in the future.”