John Sutton appointed development coach

Greenock Morton Football Club are delighted to announce the appointment of former Motherwell, Dundee, and St Mirren striker John Sutton as our new head of development squad.

The 34-year-old, who has decided to hang up his boots following a 16-year career that saw him ply his trade in both his native England and here in Scotland, will take charge of the Ton Under-20s from next term.

Sutton met with director of youth Derek Anderson and chief executive Warren Hawke at Cappielow earlier today before agreeing the deal that comes into effect on 1 June.

And a delighted Anderson told www.gmfc.net: “The board gave me the task to go out and find the next Under-20s manager, and John, for me, stuck out.

“He ticks the boxes of what I was looking for – he has his A licence, for example – and the feeling I got from him in our meetings was very positive.

“Those meetings were in depth. It wasn’t just a case of interviewing different candidates and deciding ‘you’re the guy for the job’; the process was thorough.

“I also spoke to a few people who I trust within the game about him and did my research, and I think he’s ready to coach now, to give something back to the game.

“My impression is that John is someone who cares and someone who wants to work with the kids to improve them as players. That was key for me.

“He was also a striker as a player and that brings with it a different dimension to the coaching. I played at the back, Pat McIlvogue played at the back, Sean Crighton plays at the back, so John adds a unique perspective.

“Overall, I’m delighted to be able to appoint an individual with the stature and wealth of experience that John brings to the table to work with our Under-20s.”

Image: Jonathan Mitchell