Sunderland have appointed former St Mirren boss Jack Ross as their new manager on a two-year deal.
The 41-year-old, who received Scottish Championship Manager of the Year after guiding St Mirren to promotion to the Scottish Premiership, will be joined by assistant manager James Fowler at the Stadium of Light.
Speaking about his appointment, Ross said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to take charge of an incredible football club. If you look the history, the facilities and most important of all, the fan base, you can see what this club can be. To be part of the team to help realise that potential is something that fills me with excitement.
“From the moment I spoke to Stewart and Charlie, their energy and enthusiasm was evident and I share in that. There’s a lot of work to be done in re-shaping the squad to ensure that we hit the ground running in League One, and I can’t wait to get started.”
Sunderland chairman Stewart Donald said: “We are absolutely delighted to have secured Jack as our new manager. Jack is excited to be a part of the future we are building here, and the fact he turned down lucrative offers from elsewhere, including clubs currently in a higher division than ourselves, is testament to his commitment and desire to succeed at this club and his belief in our vision for the future.
“He joins us following an excellent start to his managerial career, including a memorable 2017-18 campaign with St Mirren, and was deeply impressive throughout the recruitment process. We have acted swiftly and the hard work now continues in earnest as we look toward