Michael Beale describes Sunderland appointment as 'a huge honour'

Michael Beale has thanked the Sunderland owners for the confidence they have shown in him after he was appointed the club's head coach.

Michael Beale says it is a ‘huge honour’ to be appointed Sunderland head coach after he signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with the club.

Beale comes to Sunderland on the back of a disappointing end to his time at Rangers, where he was sacked earlier this season.

That ‘setback’ was acknowledged by Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman, who believes it will ultimately improve Beale as a coach.

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For Beale, though, he is just happy to have landed on his feet at Sunderland, where he believes it is clear some ‘excellent work’ has been done.

“It’s a huge honour to be joining the Sunderland family and I would like to thank Kyril, Kristjaan and the rest of the Executive Team for the faith and responsibility they have placed in me,” Beale said.

“The existing coaching team deserve huge credit for the way they navigated the interim period and like all of the staff at the club, they will continue to be vitally important moving forward alongside the incredible fans that make SAFC such an historic and unique club.

“It’s clear there is some excellent work being done at senior and academy level and I’m excited to support those efforts and implement my own ideas, as we build on the strong identity already established within the club.”

Beale is the third head coach that Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has appointed since taking over the club, following Alex Neil and Tony Mowbray.

He says Beale has committed to progressing the current Sunderland style, and is expecting big things from the former Rangers boss.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Michael to our Club and wish him every success here at the Stadium of Light,” Louis-Dreyfus said.

“Throughout our discussions, it was clear that he shares our ideals on implementing a high-performance culture and he is committed to a playing style that we feel is central to our progress.

“I would also like to place on record my gratitude to Mike Dodds and our coaching team for not only leading us through the interim period, but for adopting a bold and creative approach that inspired memorable back-to-back wins.

“Alongside Michael, I truly believe our people will continue to drive the club forward as we enter 2024 with renewed energy, excitement and optimism.”

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