Cambridge United appoint new manager following Mark Bonner's departure

Cambridge United have appointed Neil Harris as their new manager following the departure of Mark Bonner last week.

The former Gillingham and Millwall boss has signed an 18-month deal at the Abbey and will take charge of his first game this weekend when Cambridge play Charlton in League One.

The U’s have lost their last three league games, including at Sixfields, and are currently 18th in the table, three points behind Northampton.

“I am super excited and really pleased to be here,” Harris told the club website. “It’s a brilliant project in motion here and I just want to come and add some value to that.

“I have seen the team evolve over the past four or five years and have always followed the results from my connections with the club from my younger days. I have always had an affinity with Cambridge but the players here have some brilliant attributes that suit the way I want to play.

“I want us to be a Cambridge United side that people fear playing against. I want to win games of football and address recent results as quickly as I can. It’s certainly not revolution, it’s about evolution and supporting the players that are already and trying to get a little more out of them.”

Majority owner Paul Barry added: “Neil is a head coach who brings great experience and a proven track record of success at a high level in the game. We are confident that he can get the best out of our players.

“Importantly, we also feel he has exactly the right character for Cambridge United and is a strong cultural fit for where the club is at the moment. He is someone who can help us consolidate our position in League One, build on the strong foundations we have created and drive us forward by staying true to our collective values as a club. He lives in this region and knows Cambridge well.

“This has been a quick but also a thorough process. Over the last week we have spoken to several different candidates, and we are appointing Neil after three separate interviews held over many hours.”