Ashvir Singh Johal has become the first British Sikh to take charge of a men’s team in the top five leagues of English football.
Morecambe FC confirmed him as manager two days after the approval of its takeover by consortium Panjab Warriors – and a day after previous boss Derek Adams was sacked.
It said it marked an “exciting new era for the Shrimps as the club continues its journey under fresh ownership and renewed ambition”.
The National League side said Johal had “a wealth of experience in player development, tactical innovation, and building high-performance cultures”.
The 30-year-old spent a decade at Leicester City’s academy – where he coached under-7s through to under-18s – and in 2022 joined Kolo Toure’s Wigan as first-team coach for the senior team.
He also previously worked with Cesc Fabregas at Italian side Como.
Johal said managing a team had been his “dream since I was 14 or 15 years old”.
“It’s every single day that’s been the target I’ve worked towards. But for me, now there’s a new target, and the target is to make sure Morecambe is successful as a club.
“Make sure this year we don’t just survive in the National League, we thrive.”
The Lancashire side has been at risk of closure and it was suspended by the National League due to financial problems that have seen players, staff, creditors and the taxman go unpaid.
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However, Morecambe’s new owners said the debts would be paid by Wednesday.
Their delayed season opener is scheduled to be at home against Altrincham on Saturday. Morecambe were relegated from League Two (the fourth tier) last season.
