Big new post for Athlone's Anthony Hayes

Athlone man Anthony Hayes has been appointed as first-team coach at Sunderland.

Hayes will join the first-team coaching staff at the Stadium of Light until the end of the season.

He will support the new Sunderland interim head coach Mike Dodds, who was given the job until the end of the season this week, after the sacking of Michael Beale after just 64 days in charge.

Sunderland said Hayes would support Dodds alongside Michael Proctor and Alessandro Barcherini.

Hayes spent seven years at Charlton Athletic working in the Addicks’ academy from 2016 and progressing into the role of Under-21 lead coach by 2021.

He joined the South Londoners’ senior coaching staff one year later and led them for three games on a caretaker basis in late 2022 following the departure of Ben Garner.

Sunderland'[s U21 manager Graeme Murty will also support the first-team throughout their training schedule and match programme until the end of the campaign, the English club said.

Following Hayes’ appointment, interim head Coach Mike Dodds said: “I’ve known Anthony for some time and we are delighted to welcome him to our coaching team. This is a position we wanted to add and following the changes made earlier this week, our requirements shifted a little as did the timeframe. Anthony immediately made himself available and like Graeme Murty, he will bring added value to our coaching and match preparations. He’s also been an Interim Head Coach before, which will not only support me but also our players as we adapt and move forward together in the coming weeks and months.”

Dodds, a member of the club’s coaching team since August 2021, took charge of the Black Cats earlier this campaign and guided them to back-to-back wins in the Sky Bet Championship.

He replaces Beale, who won just four games in an ill-fated 12-game tenure, and whose time at the club was mired in controversy after he was chosen to replace the popular Tony Mowbray at the helm of the club.