I spoke to Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe about Dan Ashworth before Man United bombshell

Eddie Howe was 'very diplomatically polite' about Dan Ashworth before the former Newcastle United sporting director's shock Manchester United exit.

That is according to Simon Jordan, whose interview with the Newcastle boss was released just a few days prior to Ashworth's sudden departure. In the one-on-one sit-down, Howe spoke directly about Ashworth's move to Manchester United for the first time.

Howe referred to Ashworth as a 'really smart guy', who was 'really well organised' and a 'really good problem solver'. The Newcastle boss even said he was 'really sad' to see Ashworth go - only for the sporting director's spell at Old Trafford to be brought to an end after just five months.

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"I spoke to Eddie Howe about him the other day," Jordan told talkSPORT. "He was very diplomatically polite about him and spoke very well of him, but Dan Ashworth moves around with opportunities that suit Dan Ashworth. He landed upon the biggest opportunity of his career.

"This was the moment that I figured we were going to see if this man is all he is cracked up to be because it's one thing doing it at Brighton, being successful at West Brom and being successful on the rebuild under the anybody but Ashley regime that was in Newcastle then as far as the fans were concerned. It's another thing landing in the biggest pond.

"You watch them at games and it's like the proletariat sitting there and looking down on what they have got and what they haven't got. Who knows why they have parted but if you're going to get to it, in commercial terms, get to it quick and they have done that."