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Ian Cathro has agreed in principle to join Newcastle United as assistant manager to Steve McClaren.

Final negotiations are taking place with the 28-year-old Scot.

Cathro recently left Valencia for family reasons after moving to Spain with coach Nuno Espírito Santo from Portuguese club Rio Ave last year.

New Newcastle boss McClaren has said he wants his coaching team in place before the players return for pre-season training on 1 July.

After an injury-curtailed spell playing youth football, Cathro set up a coaching school in Dundee while he was still in his teens.

He then worked with Dundee United's youth academy for four years until 2011.

His move to Portugal came after a spell working for the Scottish Football Association's regional coaching set-up.

Cathro and Santo met while both were working on their coaching qualifications under the SFA and the pair led Rio Ave to a sixth-place league finish, two cup finals and European qualification for the first time.

Last season, they helped return La Liga club Valencia to the Champions League.

Cathro was recently linked with Rangers before the appointment of Mark Warburton as manager with David Weir as his assistant.