Newcastle United have appointed Canadian David Hopkinson as chief executive officer to replace Darren Eales, the Premier League club announced on Thursday.

Eales stepped down for health reasons after announcing last September that he had been diagnosed with cancer.

Hopkinson has joined Newcastle after serving as President and Chief Operating Officer at Madison Square Garden Sports, where he led the business operations of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers.

Both teams are among the most valuable franchises in the NBA and NHL respectively, and compete at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

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