Former Fulham reserve coach Paul Nevin was named as the new boss of the New Zealand Knights.
The 36-year-old has strong credentials for the job, having been coach of the Fulham reserve and academy team in England, and Knights chief executive Steve O’Hara is excited about the prospects of Adshead and Nevin working in tandem to ensure the Knights improve next season.
“The Knights board and management are convinced the combination of Adshead and Nevin will provide a coaching and management team to rival any in the Hyundai A-League,” O’Hara said. “The Board is left in absolutely no doubt as to the quality of Paul as a football coach and as a person. He is highly qualified and brings great experience from his time at Fulham Football Club in the English Premiership.”
Nevin, who worked with Fulham for eight years, has also received a great endorsement from the current head manager of the Premier League Club, Chris Coleman, who predicts that he will turn things around at the A-League club.
“I worked with Paul when I was a player and also as I moved into the coaching side of the game, when I became manager I brought Paul into my squad management team,” Coleman said. “Throughout his eight years at the club he was a much valued and respected member of the coaching staff. I am delighted at the news of Paul’s appointment as head coach of the New Zealand Knights, and I have no doubt that he will be successful in this position and in his future career.”
Adshead has no doubt of the Knights’ new appointment in terms of his tactical knowledge and ability to understand the contemporary football game.
“His qualifications speak for themselves and he has a clear understanding of the demands on the modern professional player,” Adshead said. “My discussions with Paul have revealed a coach with thoroughly modern methods and a great ability to run quality sessions to suit any tactical approach or opponent.”
Nevin knows the challenges that lay ahead of him, but is adamant that the Knights have the right approach to succeed in the league.
“This is a football club determined to achieve high levels of success and is working hard on plans to turn around their fortunes after a tough first season in what is an impressive quality league,” Nevin said. “Our first goal is recruitment of a quality squad that will be more than competitive in the Hyundai A-League. I am here to win and believe given the budgets and plans approved by the Board that we will be in a position to do just that.”
