Grayson named SAFC new boss
He's penned a 3 year deal
Sunderland AFC is delighted to welcome Simon Grayson as the club’s new manager. Grayson moves to Wearside after putting pen to paper on a three-year deal with the Black Cats.
A seasoned manager who has taken charge of over 600 games, Grayson has vast experience of building and improving teams he takes charge of. He arrives at the Stadium of Light after four years at Preston North End, where he took the club from the lower reaches of League One into the Championship.
Grayson will meet up with his Sunderland squad tomorrow, before flying to Austria with them for a five-day pre-season training camp on Saturday.
Speaking about the appointment, Sunderland AFC’s chief executive Martin Bain said: “We warmly welcome Simon to Sunderland. From the outset he demonstrated a tremendous enthusiasm for the job, and his desire and ambition to make this football club better shone through.
“Wherever he has managed, he has improved those clubs, which is a clear indication of his ability to build a team on solid foundations and create the right environment for success. These are certainly attributes that we as a football club want to embrace as we embark on our own re-building process with him at the helm.
“Finally, in welcoming Simon, I would also like to extend my thanks to the chairman and board of Preston North End. I know they were understandably keen to retain his services and we thank them for their cooperation during the discussion process.”
Simon Grayson said: “I am delighted to come to Sunderland, a club with such wonderful history and tradition. I’m excited by the opportunity to manage this club and I want to bring the good times back.
“Sunderland is so fortunate to have such tremendous support and I want to give these fans a team they can be proud of. I want a group of players full of desire, team spirt and a never-say-die attitude - that’s the very least that we should expect from a Sunderland player.
“The Championship is a demanding league, but with all the attributes I have highlighted then our aim has to be to get the club back to where it belongs as quickly as possible and I can’t wait to get started.”
Grayson will be joined by assistant manager Glynn Snodin, while Robbie Stockdale remains as first team coach and Adrian Tucker as goalkeeping coach