League One club appoint new head coach in time for Cobblers visit

Cambridge United will have a new man in the dugout for Saturday’s League One visit of Northampton.

Garry Monk has been appointed head coach by the U’s on a two-year deal following the sudden departure of Neil Harris, who left for Millwall last month. Cambridge are currently 19th in League One.

The 44-year-old is best known for his time at Swansea City, where he played for over 10 years before becoming manager, steering the club to eighth in the Premier League. Jobs at Leeds, Middlesbrough, Birmingham and Sheffield Wednesday followed before he took a break from the game in November 2020.

Cambridge majority owner Paul Barry said: “We are very pleased to welcome Garry as our next head coach. This follows a thorough process and three separate interviews with owners, board and senior staff from across the club. Garry emerged as our unanimous choice.

“He is a coach of high pedigree, has managed at the top level and impressed us all with his leadership skills, clarity of thinking and his analysis of Cambridge United – both the squad and the club.

"Although he has had opportunities to get back into the game over recent times, he has been waiting for the right one. Like us, he sees this as a project and we are pleased he has decided to join us on the journey ahead.

“We do all recognise that there is the immediate challenge of securing our League One future after what has been a difficult period for everyone at the club, following Neil Harris’ unexpected and sudden departure."

Monk himself said: "The stability in the ownership and their thought process resonated with me.

"I have had opportunities to go back in (to management) but the thing I was really conscious about was trying to find an opportunity with a bit of stability in the ownership, that has a plan in their mind of where they want to go, but a realistic plan as well.

"That's very difficult to find in the landscape of football now. That's part of the reason why it's been quite a while but this came along and married up to what I was thinking and what I was looking for."​​​​​​

"Having the knowledge behind you of some sort of stability and clear thinking gives you the confidence to go in there and know you can do your job well."