Simon Grayson has been appointed as the new Blackpool manager, replacing Terry McPhillips after his shock resignation on Tuesday.
The former Black Cats manager has returned to the club where he started his managerial career back in 2007, guiding the Seasiders to the Championship in his first season.
It means Grayson, sacked after just four months in charge of Sunderland in 2017, will return to the Stadium of Light for the first time since his departure in the upcoming season. Blackpool are due to visit Wearside on December 14.
On his decision to return to Bloomfield Road, Grayson said: "When Terry made the decision on Tuesday that he wanted to leave, the club contacted me to see whether I would be interested in coming back. After speaking to Simon, Michael and Ben, I thought it was an exciting project to come back to Blackpool and try and take the club forward, especially with the brand new optimism under the new owner.
“It’s now a new era and it’s important that we get this football club, with its fantastic history and tradition, back to some good, positive days again.”
Blackpool FC Owner Simon Sadler said: “It was important to act swiftly and appoint a new manager who can hit the ground running. Simon’s achievements at this level and above speak for themselves.
"He has a proven track record of getting teams promoted from this division and had great success at this club previously, building a team full of winners and leaders who set the platform for the years that followed.
“As I stated on Monday, the goal is to get this club back in the Championship within the next few years, and Simon is the man to help us achieve that.”
