SUNDERLAND have confirmed the appointment of Michael Beale, with the new head coach signing a two-and-a-half year deal at the Stadium of Light.

Mike Dodds will step up to become Beale's deputy having impressed as caretaker head coach, with Michael Proctor and Alessandro Barcherini continuing in their roles in the coaching team.

Beale - who returns to management two months after being sacked by Rangrs - says it's an "honour" to be taking charge of a "historic and unique club", while sporting director Kristjaan Speakman describes the new boss as an "outstanding progressive coach".

Beale started work at the Academy of Light today, has met Sunderland's players and will be in the dugout for the first time when the Black Cats host Coventry City on Saturday.

“It’s a huge honour to be joining the Sunderland family and I would like to thank Kyril, Kristjaan and the rest of the executive team for the faith and responsibility they have placed in me," said the 43-year-old.

"The existing coaching team deserve huge credit for the way they navigated the interim period and like all of the staff at the club, they will continue to be vitally important moving forward alongside the incredible fans that make SAFC such an historic and unique club. It’s clear there is some excellent work being done at senior and academy level and I’m excited to support those efforts and implement my own ideas, as we build on the strong identity already established within the club.”

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Speakman added: “We have monitored Michael’s career for some time and we are delighted to have reached an agreement for him to become our new head coach. He has an excellent and well-founded reputation for developing players and he is an outstanding progressive coach, who is aligned with our playing identity and naturally fits within our structure alongside Mike Dodds and the wider team.

"We continue to trust in our established process of identifying the right candidates to take us forward at these junctures and although Michael has had a setback, we feel we are getting him at the right time in his coaching journey and our journey as a club.”

Beale returns to the Championship, having previously managed QPR before taking the Rangers job just over a year ago. He made an impressive start to life at Loftus Road and was linked with a move to Wolves before eventually being tempted to Scotland.

Before moving into management, Beale worked in the academies at Celtic and Liverpool and had assistant roles at São Paulo, Rangers and Aston Villa.

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Michael to our club and wish him every success here at the Stadium of Light. "Throughout our discussions, it was clear that he shares our ideals on implementing a high-performance culture and he is committed to a playing style that we feel is central to our progress.

"I would also like to place on record my gratitude to Mike Dodds and our coaching team for not only leading us through the interim period, but for adopting a bold and creative approach that inspired memorable back-to-back wins.

"Alongside Michael, I truly believe our people will continue to drive the club forward as we enter 2024 with renewed energy, excitement and optimism.”