NEWCASTLE United boss Steve Bruce confirmed Graeme Jones is set to make the switch from Cherries to Tyneside in the next 24 hours.

The Gateshead-born coach is set to exit Cherries after coming into Jason Tindall’s backroom staff back in August, having been sacked by Luton last April.

The Daily Echo understands the 50-year-old had been granted permission to speak to the Magpies by the Dorset club.

Speaking to the media about Jones this morning, Bruce said: “He will come in and hopefully we can have him in the next 24 hours.

"With what's gone on in the last few weeks, we've had sickness to the coaches and that's when it was brought to prominence.

"A fresh voice and a fresh approach is sometimes what you need.”

Jones felt the highs of the game when he teamed up with long-term management partner Roberto Martinez as assistant, to deliver an FA Cup for Wigan in 2013.

He also made his mark on the international arena alongside the Spanish boss, helping guide Belgium to third place in a World Cup.

Released by Millwall at the age of 18, Jones found himself working as an insulation engineer – putting insulation on pipes while grafting in non-league football.

He then found a job working in a community coaching role with Newcastle, while playing part-time, before a return to full-time football as a forward at Doncaster Rovers in 1993.

Bruce added: "He's a Newcastle fan and that is what tipped him our way. He wants to work at his hometown club."