He has labored within the shadows in English soccer for greater than a decade, instilling a so-called “DNA” into its improving national teams and then shaping the growth and philosophy of Premier League clubs Brighton and Newcastle.

Now Dan Ashworth could be handed maybe his biggest task yet: Overseeing the reboot of fallen giant Manchester United.

Ashworth has been placed on leave by Newcastle, the Saudi-controlled northeast club said Monday, amid reported interest from Man United about taking up the role of sporting director amid an overhaul of the its soccer operations under British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe.

“We are naturally disappointed that Dan has chosen to leave,” Newcastle CEO Darren Eales said, “however our exciting journey doesn’t stop and the process to recruit a new sporting director will begin immediately.”

If Ashworth was to eventually make the switch to Old Trafford, he would be tasked with knitting together the various arms of Man United’s soccer operations — soon to be controlled by Ratcliffe’s INEOS Sport division — which would include overseeing transfer dealings and putting in place a wider strategy.

United would likely need to agree to a substantial compensation package for Ashworth, who joined Saudi-owned Newcastle in June 2022 after leaving Brighton in similar circumstances.

Boosted by Saudi riches, Newcastle qualified for the Champions League this season for the first time in two decades while Brighton has emerged as one of the most forward-thinking clubs in England owing to a shrewd scouting network in Europe and South America.

Before that, Ashworth was the director of elite development at the Football Association from 2012-18 and was responsible for instilling an ethos — called the “England DNA” — that encompasses the entire international setup at its base at St. George’s Park. That has been cited as a major factor in the senior men’s team’s progression to the latter stages of the last three major tournaments, the women’s team winning the European Championship and getting to the World Cup final, and the improved performances of England’s youth teams.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe spoke last week of the 52-year-old Ashworth being in a “position of power” and possessing “a lot of intelligence and information.”

Asked what was taking place with Ashworth, he added: “Nothing, so far as I’m conscious. Obviously it’s been within the information so much and often with these items, which means one thing’s going to occur.

“But as we converse now, we’ve had no contact from anybody.”

Ratcliffe’s proposed bid to buy a 25% stake in Manchester United moved nearer to completion last week after the club said the deal had been approved by the FA. The Premier League has already cleared Ratcliffe to take up a minority share under its rules regarding who is allowed to be an owner or director of a soccer club.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer