Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan tells players: ‘We want more, we’re very ambitious’

RIYADH: Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the chairman of Newcastle United, delivered a rallying cry to the Champions League-chasing players and coaching staff this week during their mid-season trip to Saudi Arabia.

The 28-man Magpies squad were guests of honor at his Riyadh residence on Monday evening. Head coach Eddie Howe said that Al-Rumayyan, who is also governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, took the opportunity to discuss the team’s current form and plans for future developments at the club.

“It was a really, really special moment for the chairman to welcome us to his home,” said Howe, whose side sit third in the Premier League after 15 top-flight games. “It wasn’t underestimated by us; it was a really nice gesture. It’s not every day that you have that invitation, so we were humbled to accept it.

“He was really, really good with us, communicated his thoughts and visions on the future. I really enjoyed spending time with him and his family. He was very welcoming and open and I’m sure the players feel the same way. He was very good with them. He interacts and talks with them in a really good way.”

Howe, who in November 2021 was the first major appointment of the Saudi era at the club, has transformed United from a team that was battling relegation at the start of this year to one that is now fighting it out at the top with the Premier League’s traditional “big six.”

A lot of what he has built and achieved has come as a result of hard work and building a strong team spirit, and this was something that Al-Rumayyan reiterated to the squad, Howe said.

“I think he’s very much for the team,” the coach added. “He wants to acknowledge that and bring everyone together. He speaks really well and honestly, and I’m sure