Chris Hughton – "Of course it was unfair of Newcastle to fire me, but I'd seen it coming"

The mild-mannered manager recalls his 'shock' Tyneside exit and the real shock of Brighton binning him for Graham Potter

- By Ian Murtagh

Let’s kick things off with your recent role as Ghana’s technical director at the 2022 World Cup. Did you enjoy that experience?

I absolutely loved it. I felt incredibly privileged to represent my dad’s country 32 years after representing the Republic of Ireland, where my mum’s from, at Italia 90. It was a really different role for me, supporting the coach and technical staff, and I’ll always look back on the adventure fondly.

You became Ghana boss in February – had you ever been tempted by international management over the years?

I was Brian Kerr’s No.2 with the Republic of Ireland for a few years. I’d never received a concrete offer, although there have been rumours and speculation, especially when the Republic job became vacant. Generally, I’ve always wanted to be a club manager.

Would it be fair to suggest that, after years as a coach, you broke into management almost by accident, as Newcastle gave you the job full-time following caretaker roles?

I’d been a coach at Tottenham for 14 years, filling a variety of roles, and I initially joined Newcastle as Kevin Keegan’s assistant. Then I worked with Joe Kinnear and Alan Shearer. It was quite a turbulent time, with managers coming and going and the team suffering relegation, and that summer I was effectively temporary manager. Mike Ashley appointed me full-time only five or six matches into the campaign, after a decent start. So, I suppose you could say that I fell into it, but I’d decided in pre-season that I wanted the job.

Did it feel like a poisoned chalice? The club seemed unmanageable then, with Ashley putting it up for sale and the fans furious.