Sunderland has confirmed Alex Neil as the new head coach of the club and will take charge for their next game against AFC Wimbledon. The former Norwich coach has agreed on a rolling 12-month contract and will be joined by assistant coach Martin Canning. Neil was considered after talks with former manager Roy Keane broke down.
“It is a privilege to be the head coach of Sunderland AFC. Everything that I saw from the players this morning made me really confident and gave me belief, so what we now need to do is replicate that on a matchday – when it matters – under scrutiny and under pressure,” new Sunderland head coach Alex Neil said. “Our task is to try and win as many games as we possibly can and at this moment in time we are focused on this season and this season alone.”
“Throughout his career, Alex has demonstrated that he can make an immediate and lasting impact,” sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said. “He expressed a clear vision on how he wants to take the team forward, which strongly aligns with our core principles, and we firmly believe that he can influence performances and results in the short term. We are grateful to our supporters for their patience throughout what has undoubtedly been a challenging period and thank Mike Dodds and Michael Proctor for overseeing our first-team program in the interim. Now, our immediate priority is to support Alex and the team to ensure we deliver promotion this season and reward the faith continuously placed in us by our supporters.”
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