'That will be huge' - Eddie Howe's unannounced addition may give Newcastle a transfer advantage

Eddie Howe has been keen to bring in figures he trusts at Newcastle United and no one knows the 44-year-old better than his nephew, Andy.

The pair are especially close - Andy is the son of Eddie's sister, Rowena - and have previously worked together at Bournemouth.

However, Howe is ruthless enough to only recruit a staff member if he feels he can make a difference and his relative has a detailed knowledge of what exactly the head coach looks for in a player, when it comes to their technical ability and character, and what he may need in the future.

An agent who has dealt with Bournemouth's former head of domestic first-team scouting has no doubt that he will be an asset for Newcastle in that regard.

"Andy knows his football," the representative told ChronicleLive. "Some people would say he's in a position because of nepotism, but I didn't see that myself. He never even mentioned Eddie.

"Even though Eddie has brought him up there, I don't think he would put him in the firing line if he wasn't capable."

There can be no disputing that his uncle has helped to open one or two doors over the years, but Howe has been determined to make his own name in the game and even stayed on at Bournemouth after his relative departed.

It has been a long journey to this point. Howe started off doing some voluntary coaching at Bournemouth's academy from the age of 15 - getting his UEFA Pro Licence just six years later - before he moved into the recruitment side. Howe then had spells as a development centre manager and a first-team player recruitment scout ahead of taking up a role as head of domestic first-team scouting.

Although Howe is still in his twenties, the talent spotter already has more than a decade of experience in scouting after