Phil Brown named Southend United Manager

A former Bolton Wanderers player has just been handed a new managerial role. Phil Brown, who was the odds-on favorite for the Southend United manager's post has just been confirmed as the Shrimpers' new boss. Brown had spent a large portion of his career at Bolton before retiring at Blackpool and joining Sam Allardyce's coaching staff at the Tangerines.

Phil Brown played at Bolton Wanderers from 1988 to 1994, making over 250 appearances for the whites in the process. Brown, encouraged by former Bolton boss Bruce Rioch, earned his coaching badges while winding down his career with Bolton, before moving to Blackpool and becoming Big Sam's assistant. Following that, Brown went back to the Trotters to work under Colin Todd. After Todd's resignation, Phil Brown was named Caretaker Manager, taking charge of five games. In that stretch, Phil Brown won two, drew two, and lost one, before Allardyce took over at Bolton.

Brown, famous for taking Hull City to the Premier League in 2008, had not managed a club since 2011. At that point, it was Preston North End that he was in charge of, managing 51 games but winning only 15 of those.

The Southend United appointment was made official today on the club's official website. Brown was delighted by the opportunity, saying:

"I'm delighted to have been given the opportunity here at Southend and it's a challenge I'm really looking forward to.

"We've got seven league games between now and the end of the season, hopefully we can put a winning run together and give ourselves a chance of reaching the play-offs.

"We've got a few days of training between now and the game against Bradford that will give me a chance to take a look at the players.

"The Easter period is always tough because you play twice in such a short space of time, but it's a good opportunity to pick up six points and get that winning run started."

During Owen Coyle's Bolton Wanderers tenure, many had called for him to take on Brown as an assistant manager.