Steve Bruce pay off: salary, contract and compensation with Newcastle United explained after manager sacking

After over two years in charge of Newcastle United, it was announced on Wednesday 20 October 2021 that Steve Bruce would be relieved of his duties as manager.

The northern club was taken over two weeks ago by the Saudi-Arabian backed consortium of Public Investment Fund, PCP Capital Partners and RB Sports and Media in a deal worth £305 million and it was just a matter of time before they took their first major step in giving the club a fresh start by removing veteran coach Steve Bruce.

The 60-year-old manager, who managed his 1,000th match on Sunday when Newcastle lost 3-2 to Tottenham Hotspur,  will not be leaving empty handed as he is set to be sent packing with an £8 million payout.

Why was Steve Bruce sacked?

Steve Bruce came to Newcastle on 17 July 2019 and has led the team to 13th and 12th place finishes in the Premier League.

He has, however, persistently been criticised by Newcastle fans for his style of play and has faced even more abuse in recent weeks as the Tyne-side club have yet to win a game in the premier league this season.

Since 16 December 2020, Newcastle have had seven wins, scored the third-lowest number of points (31) in the Premier League and have also conceded the most number of goals (65).

His last game with Newcastle United, which was on Saturday 16 October 2021, ended in a 3-2 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

Will Steve Bruce be paid in compensation as a result of sacking?

It has been reported that Bruce is likely to receive an £8 million pay off as a result of his sacking two weeks after the Saudi-backed takeover of Newcastle United.

It had been estimated that Bruce was earning a base salary of £2.75 million/year equating to £57,000 a week.

When the Northumberland-born manager started at Newcastle, he became the worst-paid Premier League manager, earning £1 million-a-year compared to the £6 million that his predecessor, Rafael Benitez earned.

The £305 million takeover as now meant Newcastle have surpassed Manchester City as the richest football club in the world.

What has been said about Steve Bruce’s sacking?

Speaking to Sky Sports, pundit Jamie Redknapp thought “Steve Bruce was a symbol of the previous regime.” New director Amanda Stavely hopes the team will gradually look to become a main competitor for the Premiership title as more money is put into the club.

Following his departure, Bruce announced “I am grateful to everyone connected with Newcastle United for the opportunity to manage this unique football club.

I would like to thank my coaching team, the players and the support staff in particular for all their hard work. There have been highs and lows, but they have given everything even in difficult moments and should be proud of their efforts.”

In an interview with The Telegraph, Bruce admitted he imagined this to be his last job as a football manager and spoke out about the trouble he had faced being the Newcastle United manager for the past two years.

“I think this might be my last job. It’s not just about me; it’s taken its toll on my whole family because they are all Geordies and I can’t ignore that.”

“It has been very, very tough. To never really be wanted, to feel that people wanted me to fail and saying I would fail, that I was useless, a fat waste of space, a tactically inept cabbage head.”

Who is set to take over Steve Bruce’s job at Newcastle?

While the club looks for a permanent manager, assistant manager Graeme Jones will lead the Magpies.

Former Roma manager Paulo Fonseca is the bookies’ favourite to replace Bruce, while Eddie Howe and Lucien Favre are also high on the list. Former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has been listed as another name under consideration along with fellow England teammate Steven Gerrard.

For all the latest on who will succeed Steve Bruce as NUFC manager, head over to our sister title NewcastleWorld.com and follow Liam Kennedy’s coverage on Twitter at @newcastle_world and @LiamJKennedy23

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