John Herdman has had the small matter of preparing for Canada's first World Cup in 36 years, but the Consett man has always made sure he has had time to sit down with his son, Jay, and watch Newcastle United play from the other side of the world. Herdman may be a long way away from home these days, in Vancouver, but the Canada boss' love for the Magpies remains as strong as ever.
Just as Herdman has kept a close eye on Newcastle's remarkable turnaround under Eddie Howe, the club's head of recruitment, Steve Nickson, has also been monitoring some of his hottest talents. Lille striker Jonathan David, Club Brugge winger Tajon Buchanan and Porto midfielder Stephen Eustaquio are among those individuals who are part of an exciting generation of players who Newcastle are certainly already well-aware of ahead of sending talent spotters to the tournament in Qatar.
"I've had a few good conversations with the head of recruitment over the last two years around some of the Canadian players so they're on the radar," Herdman told ChronicleLive. "There's no doubt.
