Sunderland are strengthening their staff ahead of a crucial season

Sunderland are continuing to bolster their backroom team ahead of the 2026/27 campaign,

The club have appointed a new first-team analyst to strengthen the existing team, hiring former Brentford and Spurs man Joe Newton. Newton worked with Thomas Frank at Brentford for a number of years before joining him in making the switch last summer, leaving Spurs earlier this year.

In an interview with Training Ground Guru, Newton said he was excited about the opportunity and impressed with the ‘community feel’ at the club.

“I am naturally excited to get back into it,” Newton said.

“The job advert came up towards the end of last season and I applied. The club had a great season last year and hopefully that continues. It has a great community feel and good values and that is one of the things that attracted me to the role.”

The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

Newton’s primary focus will be on opposition analysis as Sunderland gear up for a significantly expanded schedule next season following their qualification for the Europa League group stages. Florent Ghisolfi has been working over the last year to bolster a number of departments on the footballing side of the club following the club’s promotion to the Premier League.

Your next Sunderland read: Why Dan Neil picked Rangers as his next club - and the Sunderland alumni who helped him make his mind up