• Premier League

Pardew handed eight-year contract

ESPN staff
September 27, 2012

Alan Pardew has signed a new eight-year contract with Newcastle United, the longest deal for any manager currently working in the Premier League.

Pardew, assistant boss John Carver, coach Steve Stone and goalkeeping coach Andy Woodman have all signed extensions to keep them at the club until 2020 as owner Mike Ashley bids to bring stability to the Magpies in thier search for silverware.

It is a bold move from Ashley given that eight managers have left the club in the last six-and-a-half years, but follows on from a similar deal offered to chief scout Graeme Carr in the summer as the board bid to lock down the management structure in place as they hope to end Newcastle's 57-year wait for a major trophy.

Pardew arrived on Tyneside under a cloud as the replacement for Chris Hughton, who had led the club back to the Premier League, but won the doubters over last season when he guided Newcastle to a fifth-place finish and briefly mounted a charge for a finish in the Champions League places.

The former West Ham and Charlton manager also oversaw the restructuring of the playing squad to off-load its high-earning stars, unearthing a number of unheralded talents that helped bring European football back to Newcastle in the form of the Europa League.

Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan, Joey Barton and Jose Enrique were all moved on while the Yohan Cabaye, Sylvain Marveaux, Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse have become household names on Tyneside.

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