Former Premier League midfielder Kevin Nolan has been appointed the new manager of Northampton Town, the club have confirmed.
Nolan, now 42, made more than 400 Premier League appearances, scoring 69 goals, for the likes of Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle and West Ham.
After managerial stints at Leyton Orient and Notts County, Nolan was most recently on the coaching staff at the Hammers but departed after David Moyes was sacked in May.
Nolan has now signed a two-and-a-half-year contract at Northampton, who are currently 20th in League One. He replaces Jon Brady, who resigned from the post three weeks ago.
✍️ We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Kevin Nolan as Manager of Northampton Town.
Welcome to the Cobblers, Kevin! 👋 #ShoeArmy 👞 https://t.co/iOi0NYIg7t
— Northampton Town (@ntfc) December 23, 2024
In a statement, Northampton chairman Kelvin Thomas said: “Kevin was very impressive through the process and showed a real desire for the job.
“He has done well in difficult circumstances in both of his previous managerial jobs and he impressed us with his knowledge, his energy, his experience and his passion. He showed a real desire and enthusiasm for the role, he couldn’t wait to get started and he has already taken charge of training for the first time.
“Our immediate target is to try and move up the table and while we understand we have challenges to overcome, we believe Kevin is well placed to lead us forward on that.”
Nolan himself added: “I am delighted to be appointed the new manager of Northampton Town and I cannot wait to get going. We have a busy schedule over the Christmas and New Year period so the challenge is to hit the ground running as best we can.
“The club has a fine reputation in the game as being a well run club and it is clear it has moved forward on and off the pitch over the last few seasons. I am proud and honoured to be given the chance to try and continue and develop that work.
“I believe the squad can make progress up the table and I am determined to repay the faith that the board of directors have shown in me.
“We don’t have any time to lose, it might be Christmas but we have a lot of work to do in a short space of time and I hope the supporters will come with us as we start our journey. We will need their backing and I can promise them we will be doing all we can to turn the results around.”
Nolan begins his Northampton tenure with a trip to Reading on Boxing Day.
