Swansea City Appoint Alan Sheehan as Permanent Head Coach
In a move that has been widely anticipated, Swansea City have announced the appointment of Alan Sheehan as their permanent head coach. The news comes after Sheehan’s successful stint as caretaker boss, during which he has overseen a remarkable upturn in form for the Welsh side.
According to Richard Montague, Director of Football at Swansea City, the club has been impressed with Sheehan’s work since he took over as caretaker head coach for a second time. “We’ve been very impressed with Alan since he’s taken over as caretaker head coach for a second time,” Montague said, as quoted in an article on the BBC Sport website. “It was important that we carried out a thorough and detailed process for appointing our new head coach. We had to get this decision right, and we are very happy with the work that’s been done and confident that we’ve picked the best head coach to take our club to the next level.”
Sheehan, a former left-back, joined Swansea City as an assistant head coach in the summer of 2023, linking up with then sporting director Paul Watson, whom he knew from their time together at Luton. Having initially been part of Michael Duff’s backroom staff, Sheehan first took over as caretaker boss in December 2023, when he helped Swansea claim 11 points from seven matches before the arrival of Williams in January last year.
Sheehan returned to the backroom team before stepping up to the top job for a second time when Williams departed. At the time, Swansea were eight points clear of the bottom three in 17th, but they have since delivered a remarkable upturn in form to climb to 11th in the table. This impressive run of results has undoubtedly played a significant role in Sheehan’s appointment as permanent head coach.
As reported by the BBC Sport website, Tom Gorringe, Swansea’s CEO, has expressed his delight at Sheehan’s appointment, praising his strong leadership and tactical acumen during his time as caretaker head coach. “Alan has shown strong leadership and tactical acumen during his time as caretaker head coach,” Gorringe said. “Collectively, we believe he is the right person to take Swansea City forward and build on the progress that we’ve made towards the end of this season. We’re excited and optimistic about what we can achieve together.”
Sheehan’s first game as permanent head coach will be a home match against Oxford United on Saturday, which kicks off at 12:30 BST. The BBC Sport website reports that confirmation of Sheehan’s backroom staff will be made in due course. With this appointment, Swansea City are hoping to build on the progress they have made towards the end of the season and push for even greater success in the future.
The appointment of Alan Sheehan as permanent head coach of Swansea City has been a long time coming, and it will be interesting to see how he builds on his impressive work as caretaker boss. As the BBC Sport website notes, Sheehan has always been interested in taking the role on a long-term basis, though he repeatedly stressed that his ideas must align with the club’s view on the way forward. With the backing of the club’s hierarchy, Sheehan will be looking to make a lasting impact at the Liberty Stadium.
According to the BBC Sport website, Sheehan’s impressive credentials and experience make him an ideal candidate for the role. The website quotes Montague as saying that the club had to get the decision right and that they are “very happy with the work that’s been done and confident that we’ve picked the best head coach to take our club to the next level.” This sentiment is echoed by Gorringe, who expressed his excitement and optimism about what the club can achieve with Sheehan at the helm.
The BBC Sport website also reports that Sheehan’s appointment is a significant coup for Swansea City, who have been looking to build on their recent successes. With a home game against Oxford United on Saturday, Sheehan will have the opportunity to make a winning start as permanent head coach and kick-start a new era at the Liberty Stadium.
Source: BBC Sport
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