Soccer-Morecambe appoint Johal as first Sikh professional manager in England

LONDON (Reuters) -Ashvir Singh Johal has become the first Sikh to coach a professional club in England after being named as first-team manager at fifth-tier Morecambe on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old is also the youngest manager in the top-five tiers of English soccer.

"He arrives at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium with an excellent reputation as a forward thinking coach and leader, bringing a wealth of experience in player development, tactical innovation, and building high-performance cultures," the club said.

"His appointment marks an exciting new era for the Shrimps as the Club continues its journey under fresh ownership and renewed ambition."

Johal, who worked at Leicester City's academy for 10 years and was part of Kolo Toure's coaching team at Wigan Athletic in the Championship in 2022, replaces Derek Adams who left the club following the takeover by the Panjab Warriors consortium.

The club is yet to play a game in the National League this season after being suspended because of its failure to meet financial obligations, including failing to pay staff and uncertainty about the ownership.

Following the completion of the sale of the club by the Bond Group to London-based Panjab Warriors, that suspension has been lifted, meaning Johal can begin the task of trying to reverse the decline in the seaside town club's fortunes.

"The immediate priority right now is going to be to identify the players that we need in this building to ensure Morecambe Football Club can perform well in the National League," he said.

Johal completed his UEFA Pro Licence in June.

(Reporting by Martyn HermanEditing by Christian Radnedge)