Dan Ashworth, born on March 6, 1971, is an English football director with a rich and diverse career. He currently holds the position of sporting director at Newcastle United, having previously served as technical director at West Bromwich Albion and Brighton and Hove Albion.
Ashworth's journey in football began with his studies at the College of West Anglia from 1987 to 1989. He later joined the academy at Norwich City before moving on to non-league clubs Eastbourne Town and St. Leonards. In the United States, he coached West Florida Fury before returning to England to play for Wisbech Town.
However, Ashworth's professional journey took a significant turn when he retired as a player. He went on to become the academy director at Peterborough United in 2000 and later, the center of excellence director at Cambridge United. In 2004, he joined West Bromwich Albion, initially as a youth team manager and later, as the sporting and technical director.
In 2012, Ashworth was appointed as the FA director of elite development, where he played a crucial role in creating the "England DNA", an elite player development plan aimed at helping create winning senior teams in both men's and women's football.
Ashworth's exceptional skills and expertise did not go unnoticed, and he was shortlisted by Manchester United as a candidate for the technical director position in 2018. However, he resigned from the FA in September of the same year to take up the post of Technical Director at Brighton & Hove Albion, a role he held until February 2022.
Ashworth's most recent appointment is as the sporting director at Newcastle United, a position he has held since February 2022.
