Eddie Howe was just a couple of days into an end-of-season break when the Newcastle head coach’s phone “exploded” last summer.
Sporting director Paul Mitchell had just announced that he was departing.
While there were initial tensions between the pair, Howe was the first to recognise that such a figure “protects the manager from a lot of things”.
That is why the arrival of Ross Wilson is so significant for Newcastle.
Rather than rushing into the appointment – despite the need for a sporting director during a draining transfer window – Newcastle have been keen to recruit the right person.
In Ross Wilson, who already has a good relationship with Howe, they feel they have that man.
It will fall to Wilson to help plot the medium to long-term strategy of the club.
And, after a period of boardroom upheaval, Newcastle will hope the Scot will stick around long enough to see that vision through.