Meeting Steve McClaren's Newcastle Backroom Staff - Everything You Need To Know

6. Steve Black - Consultancy Role (Mental And Physical Fitness/Conditioning)

Jonny Wilkinson's mentor during his formative years at the Newcastle Falcons before helping Danny Cipriani back on to the straight and narrow (for a time, anyway), as well as a confidante of Joey Barton at Queens Park Rangers, Newcastle have appointed Steve Black to McClaren's backroom staff on a consultancy basis. A man New Zealand rugby head coach Graham Henry refers to as "the best motivator" he's even met, Black's website describes him as a "motivator, coach, psychologist, priest, councillor, psychiatrist, comedian, strategist, facilitator and friend". Although brought in primarily as a conditioning coach - he has often been referred to as a "fitness guru" - there is no doubt that Newcastle's squad could do with some motivation, guidance and, let's face it, spiritual help after the debacle of last season. Black will be equally as important in pre-season as he will be during the campaign, preparing the players both mentally and physically for the task ahead. The Newcastle-born coach is returning home and is reuniting with McClaren, a man he worked with on a freelance basis at Derby County. McClaren trusts Black wholeheartedly, having also seen the wonders he achieves first hand at Queens Park Rangers, and he will lean heavily on his consultant to ensure his players are in healthy shape - both mentally and physically. Can he finally instil some confidence and ambition into Newcastle United as a football club?