Eddie Howe’s next job? Ex-Newcastle boss told to leave England & be ready to replace Thomas Tuchel after Euro 2028

Having led Newcastle into the Champions League and delivered a first domestic trophy to Tyneside in 70 years, Howe stunned the footballing world when confirming his departure from St James’ Park on July 30, 2026.

He had taken in 231 games as Magpies boss, having first picked up the reins in November 2021, and was one of the longest-serving coaches in the English top-flight. Winds of change have swept him out of the North East.

That has been the case for a number of other prominent figures this summer, with Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali linking up with Barcelona and Tottenham in big-money transfers. Bruno Guimaraes is closing in on a £75 million ($101m) move to Arsenal.

Howe can be forgiven for jumping what some consider to be a sinking ship. Asked if he could end up being the biggest loss of all, Magpies icon Waddle - speaking in association with BetBrain - told GOAL: “Possibly. Listen, Eddie, he's built a good squad. Last year, the season, the signings he made didn't work. They struggled. The team struggled, let's be honest, week in, week out.

“But Eddie, you know, popular, played a good system, what the Geordies wanted to see. They love attacking football on the front foot and he played that style, which won him the League Cup, got him in the Champions League twice. So, he's done a great job up there.

“But I think losing Tonali, losing Gordon, bringing three unknown players in, let's be honest, young players and Guimaraes looks like he's going to go to Arsenal - he's probably thought, ‘I can't make this team a top four, top six team, which people want’. And he's probably thought, ‘I've done as much as I can here and it's time to move on’.”

Howe has been mooted as a potential England manager for some time. Quizzed on whether he now provides an immediate threat to Thomas Tuchel on the back of the Three Lions’ uninspiring semi-final defeat at the 2026 World Cup, Waddle added: “No, I think, he’ll [Tuchel] be given time. He's got a great record as a club manager. International football is different, we know that. You can't go and buy a centre-half, you can't buy players, you've got to work with what you've got.

“He's got a healthy squad there. They did okay. I didn't think they were ever going to win it, when the tournament started and watching it. I thought they'd get to the latter stages, as they did, but I didn't fancy them ever to win it.

“It's just finding that right blend and what we are short of is a good number 10 and a really, really top, top winger. And if we could find them two players, it would help his cause a lot more. But at the minute, I think we've got a strong squad. It will give anybody a game, we know that. But we're just missing something.”

With Howe being ruled out of an imminent move into international management, Waddle went on to say of the path that a highly-rated tactician should tread: “I don't know Eddie as a person. I know he's quiet off the field. You don't really hear a lot about him. You don't see him around. He's football, home, football, home, by all accounts.

“If I was Eddie Howe, I would go abroad now for a year or two and learn my trade a bit more abroad and come back. And then I think he'd be ready for England in two years, after the next Euros.

“I think his next move is so important. It's always the case with the Premier League that jobs come up - there will be a few come up after six, 10 games, we know that is always the case. Getting Eddie Howe in, we know he can manage in the Premier League. He's done it well.

“But I think to go and learn more, you need to go abroad and find out what life's about and what coaching’s about. Because when you go abroad, you're a coach. You're not a manager, you're a coach. And I think that would help Eddie a lot. And it would put us in good stead for England in the future.”

It remains to be seen whether that advice will be heeded, with it possible that Howe will look to take a break from the stresses of management before returning to the dugout in England or elsewhere.

He has left a big job to be taken on at Newcastle, with German tactician Matthias Jaissle - who has previously worked with Red Bull Salzburg and Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli - picking up that baton ahead of the 2026-27 Premier League campaign.