Dan Ashworth may have had to be patient while on gardening leave, but the 51-year-old certainly did not leave Brighton through the back door when he handed in his notice earlier this year. It was quite the opposite, in fact.
Ashworth was so well-regarded at Brighton that, even after resigning to take up a new position at an effective rival in Newcastle United, the technical director was given the chance to say farewell to staff and personally address the players.
"This is probably the best group of players I have had the privilege of working with in terms of culture and togetherness," he told the squad back in February.
