Former Sunderland and Bristol City boss takes charge at League One Fleetwood

Fleetwood Town have appointed Lee Johnson as their new manager.

The former Sunderland and Bristol City boss, son of ex-Northampton manager Gary Johnson, replaces the sacked Scott Brown with Fleetwood second-from-bottom in League One on just one point from six games.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be here,” said Johnson. “I’m not long out of a job and I’ve been humbled that the club made such a big effort to get me here but, at the same time, I’ve known Fleetwood for a long time. I’ve watched the journey, which has been fantastic for the football club, and I want to be part of the new era by helping the success continue.

“You want to make your own stamp from day one, but you also have to let the players flourish to play their natural games in the formation you want to play in and that’s the beauty and enjoyment factor of coaching. You get to see this on the grass, not just with their abilities, but also with their attitudes and ability to learn.

“There are a lot of young players at this football club, aged between 18 and 25, and I think that’s a good thing because they are impressionable, I’m used to working with players in that range, trying to develop them not only to perform for Fleetwood, but also making them the players they need to be to move on.”

Fleetwood CEO Steve Curwood said: “We are delighted to attract someone with the calibre and record of Lee Johnson to Fleetwood Town – we see this move as a real statement of intent at the club.

“During the process, we made it clear we were looking for an experienced manager who can help take what we feel is a very good squad up the table, and help to develop the club as a whole.

“We were hugely impressed by the number of impressive candidates and after a thorough interview process, Lee was the stand-out candidate. We’d like to welcome him to Highbury Stadium and look forward to working with him in the future.”