League Two Side Carlisle United has appointed former Manchester City and Blackburn -Baas Mark Hughes as their new head coach.
This week, Mail Sport exclusively revealed that the bottom side of the table considered the shock appointment of Steven Gerrard, after his exit of Saudi-Arabic outfit Al Ettifaq.
The American owners of the club rejected Mike Williamson on Monday after a gloomy run of the form that the side to the foot of the fourth layer has seen eight points of safety.
Despite the interest in Gerrard, who has also had management stints with Rangers and Aston Villa, ex-Bolton boss Ian Evatt was the favorite for the track, but the club has chosen to make the equally surprising appointment of Hughes, who since then without without A club has been a short spell with Bradford City ended in 2023.
“I am happy that Mark has agreed to become a member of Carlisle United,” said Cumbrians' sports director Rob Clarkson in a club statement on Thursday.
'His experience and figure in the game speaks for himself. He is someone who will immediately respect all employees and players and I am very enthusiastic to work with him.
“The players we have here fit the way he wants to play and I am sure that our fans will really find out in our remaining 18 games.”
Hughes enjoyed a shimmering gaming career with people like Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea and Bayern Munich before he started his management career in 1999.
His first role came with the Wales National Team for Successful Official Terms in Ewood Park, the Etihad and Stoke City.
The 61-year-old will be accompanied in Brunton Park by the new assistant coach Glyn Hodges, with both on rolling contracts. Hodges helped Hughes in a number of clubs during their coaching career after they first bundled the forces for Wales in 2004.
Gerrard will now have to wait for his next opportunity in management after a non -inspiring spell in the Saudi Pro League.
In his first management role after an excellent gaming career that saw him lifting nine trophies, Gerrard Rangers led to a first Scottish Premiership title in 10 years.
The 44-year-old followed Dean Smith in Villa Park in November 2021, but left 11 months later after 13 wins in 40 games.
In his first season in Al Ettifaq, which does not benefit from government financing, he led his new side to sixth and triggered a revolution in their off-field arrangement.
Despite the signing of a new contract last year, however, he left 12 out of 16 in the event of mutual permission, after he won 23 of 59 games.
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