The Football Association of Wales can confirm that Dr Ian Mitchell has agreed to take up a new position as Head of Psychology at Newcastle United from Tuesday 21 November.
Dr Mitchell re-joined the FAW as Head of Performance Psychology in April 2023. The role entailed working with the Cymru Men’s National Team as well as additional responsibilities covering both Men’s and Women’s pathways and culture across the whole of the FAW. Mitchell previously worked with the Cymru Men’s National Team and age groups, most notably during the UEFA EURO 2016 tournament.
Speaking about the move, Dr Mitchell said;
“I was delighted to return to the FAW in a new role as Head of Performance Psychology to develop and lead a strategy across the association. However, the opportunity to join a big Premier League club such as Newcastle United at this exciting time and competing in the Champions League, has resulted in my decision to leave the association on a full-time basis. Nonetheless, I am really pleased to continue with my role with the Men’s National Team for the remainder of the European championship campaign and support the wider high-performance strategy.”
The FAW’s Chief Football Officer Dr David Adams has thanked Ian Mitchell for his time at the FAW;
“Ian has provided the FAW with a platform to enhance our performance psychology across our National Teams, and we recognise the importance of this area to support our athletes’ performance both on and off the pitch. Ian will continue to advise on aspects of our high-performance strategy and to support Rob and the men’s team in the coming months as we continue our journey to qualify to the European championships.”
The FAW would like to wish Ian the best of luck in his new role and thank him for his work at the organization.
