Steve Bruce admits he saw enough from Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley at the club’s recent night out on the Quayside to feel convinced that the club is in safe hands. After sanctioning deals for Callum Wilson, Ryan Fraser and Jamal Lewis, the Magpies tapped into some of the unspent funds from January to deliver an impressive trio of new faces with Ashley delivering a promise that as long as he was the owner he’d provide Bruce with funding. Despite Ashley’s unpopularity with fans and unwillingness to engage with journalists, he was happy to talks about business and football with staff behind the scenes last week at the Tomahawk Steakhouse on the banks of the Tyne.
Steve Bruce said “Every journalist has asked me about my relationship with Mike Ashley. At the end of the day, he doesn’t come that often. But when he does he wants to introduce himself to the new players and he wanted to take the players out for a steak. That can only be a good thing. For him, it was a unique situation. It could have been spectacular for the club with the people who were involved so that in respect he was disappointed it didn’t happen. But you get on with it and let’s see what we can do (on the pitch).”
