Swansea City have named Michael Duff as their new manager.
The Northern Irishman has signed a three-year deal at the Swansea.com Stadium, and will lead the club into the upcoming Championship season following the departure of Russell Martin, whose move to Southampton was confirmed on Wednesday night.
Duff will begin work straight away, with the Northern Irishman expected to report to Fairwood tomorrow to welcome the players back for the first day of pre-season training.
A number of other names had been in the frame to succeed Martin over the last few weeks, including Chris Davies and Steven Schumacher, but it's Duff who has been installed as the club's new boss, having previously guided Barnsley to the League One play-offs last season.
READ MORE: The lowdown on Barnsley's Michael Duff and the fundamental change he'd make to Swansea City
Swansea will have to pay compensation to secure the former Cheltenham Town manager's services, understood to be around £500,000.
Before his spell at Oakwell, Duff won the League Two title with Cheltenham in 2020-21 and masterminded their best league finish the following campaign, when they ended up 15th in League One.
This is his first crack at management in the Championship, and the 45-year-old says he's looking forward to the challenge ahead with the Swans.
Commenting on the move, chairman Andy Coleman said: “Michael has a proven track record of galvanising a group of players into a collective unit, and he has consistently outperformed expectations at his previous clubs.
“Every conversation I had with him only reinforced the view that he is exactly the type of leader we need here at Swansea City.
“He is a proven winner, both as a player and as a manager, and I’m confident he will bring that mentality here.
“I believe in his ability and his belief in the Swansea Way, while he also possesses the capability to adapt within games to drive results.
"This is a results-driven business. Our position in the table matters to all of us and we are focused on supporting Michael with everything he needs to succeed.”
Duff's appointment comes just before the club jet off to Spain for a pre-season training camp next week, where he will likely get a first look at his available squad.
There are likely to be several behind-closed-doors clashes lined up, before the Swans open their pre-season schedule with a trip to Oxford United on July 21.
Swansea will commence the new season at home to Birmingham City on August 5.
