Ian Wright has reassured Newcastle United's owners that Michael Emenalo's ego is 'not out of control' after backing Chelsea's former technical director to become the Magpies' new sporting director.
Newcastle have not employed a director of football since Joe Kinnear's bizarre second spell at St James' Park, in 2014, but the club's new owners are open to bringing someone in to help establish a long-term vision.
Modern day sporting directors tend to oversee six key areas - the men's first team, the women's team, player recruitment, the academy, medical and sports science, and loans - and head coach Eddie Howe would welcome such an appointment to help ease the load.
Emenalo, who has been out of work since leaving Monaco in 2019, is interested in a move to Tyneside and Wright has backed the Nigerian for the prospective role.
"He's somebody who can navigate that and who has done that under extreme pressure under three different managers at a club [Chelsea] that we know is very volatile in respects of moving managers on and sacking them," the Arsenal legend told the Kelly & Wrighty Show.
"What he did with their academy, what he did with the players that he got for the club and the way that the players that he got performed for the club...they have to get that person.
"I was almost thinking they needed that person before they got the manager, but it's happened so quickly. They've got the manager - now they've got to try and get that person.
"Then you're going to have to hope that the person and the manager click. You speak to the guy who is going to have to make all these decisions and buy these players - he's going to have to get on with this manager.
"It's gone the wrong way around but if they do get someone like Michael Emenalo, ego is something that is not out of control. He will do the very best he can for the club.
"You're hoping they can appoint that person. To be honest, they've got to do it pretty quickly."
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