Ex-Cats striker ‘delighted’ to be appointed permanent Morpeth boss

Former Sunderland forward Craig Lynch is ready to grasp the “fantastic opportunity” ahead of him after he was named as new manager of Northern Premier League club Morpeth Town.

The 29-year-old made two Premier League appearances for the Black Cats during Steve Bruce’s reign at the Stadium of Light, before joining Rochdale in February 2014.

Lynch moved back to the North East to have spells with Spennymoor Town and Blyth Spartans before moving into management at the age of 25 with Northern League club Seaham Red Star.

He joined Nicky Gray’s coaching staff at Morpeth Town in 2018 and has been in caretaker charge of the Highwaymen since Gray’s successor Stephen Turnbull stepped down last month.

Lynch has overseen an upturn in form, as defeats against local rivals South Shields and National League North side York City mean the Craik Park club have lost just two of their last 11 games in all competitions.

Lynch has now been handed the managerial role on a permanent basis, after seeing off competition from two former Newcastle

United Premier League players and a number of experienced non-league bosses.

After his appointment was confirmed, he told said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for me to be given and I am ready to work hard to help this club realise its potential.

“These aren’t the circumstances I wanted to have this job because, in an ideal world, Stephen Turnbull would still be manager of the football club.

“We had a lot of bad luck in the opening part of the season and I don’t think anyone could doubt that.

“Stephen resigned and I think that made it a little easier for me to take the job because I wouldn’t have felt right if he’d left the club in any other way. Football is a funny game and I am delighted to accept the offer to take this club forwards.

“I took over at Seaham Red Star at the age of 25, I’m not scared of the challenge of being a young manager and now it’s down to me to prove what I can do with Morpeth Town.”

Lynch will oversee his first game as permanent manager on Saturday when his side host Pickering Town in the third qualifying round of the FA Trophy.