Steve McClaren has been confirmed as the new head coach of Newcastle and has also been added to the club's board of directors.

Club owner Mike Ashley has stood down from the board of directors in a radical overhaul of the board.

In a statement on them club website, Newcastle said Ashley "has relinquished his position on the board along with finance director John Irving, who is leaving the club."

McClaren's addition to it is a unique development in the Premier League.

The former England manager is the successor to John Carver, who was in temporary charge following Alan Pardew's departure at the end of last year.

"I always wanted this job. Always. I've had two or three opportunities. As way back as 2004, when I was at Middlesbrough, meeting Freddy Shepherd. Everything's about timing in football but it wasn't the right time," he said.  

McClaren's first managerial job was in the north east with Middlesbrough, and he most recently worked at Derby.

He has also had spells in the Netherlands and Germany with Twente and Wolfsburg respectively, winning the Dutch league in 2010.