London, Aug 19: Leicester-born Ashvir Singh Johal on Tuesday became the first British Sikh manager of a professional England football club (FC) when he took charge of Morecambe FC in Lancashire, north-west England.
Johal, 30, has spent 10 years at Leicester City football club, coaching younger players in the academy.
His new appointment comes after he completed the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Pro Licence with the Football Association (FA), one of the youngest to acquire the highest qualification in management and football coaching, back in June.
“I think the fans can expect someone who is extremely hard-working and really proud to represent them and their town, make sure they have got a team that really represents them on the pitch,” said Johal, in his first interview conducted by the club following his appointment.
“Every single day that I am here, that’s my responsibility and it’s something I’ll make sure I achieve and make sure we don’t leave a day when we are not working towards that objective,” he said.
“I think the immediate priority is going to be to identify the players that we need in this building to make sure Morecambe Football Club this season can perform well in the National League. For me, that’s the priority,” he said.
Johal’s appointment is pitched as a new era for the Shrimps, as Morecambe FC is known, as it started a new journey under fresh ownership. (PTI)
