Former Leeds United midfielder Liam Bridcutt has landed a shock management role, a few years after his playing career ended with Blackpool.
Bridcutt spent two seasons in the Championship with Leeds and left the club before the Whites became serious promotion contenders.
He had spells at Nottingham Forest, Lincoln City and Blackpool before ending his playing career. The former midfielder is now set for a management role following a shock appointment.
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Liam Bridcutt becomes part of interim management team at Ashington
Former Leeds midfielder Liam Bridcutt has joined Ashington’s interim management team after Marc Ellison’s departure.
Bridcutt, who also represented Sunderland and Brighton, will share temporary first-team duties with former Ashington player Paul Dunn while the club look to appoint a permanent manager.
The duo take charge after Ellison’s exit by mutual agreement, with the Colliers fighting to preserve their Northern Premier League East Division status.
Ashington’s head of football Ian Skinner said: “I first met Liam during my time at Gateshead, and have always been impressed by the person he is.
“He is a fantastic individual, incredibly humble and hardworking, and someone who brings a wealth of footballing knowledge and experience. I have no doubt he will be a real asset to Paul and the players, both on and off the pitch.
“Paul and Liam will also look to utilise the experience and leadership already within the dressing room, particularly our senior leadership group, to help drive standards, maintain togetherness, and ensure the players take collective responsibility as we move forward.”
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Leeds fans will remember him
Liam Bridcutt arrived at Leeds in November 2015, joining on loan from Sunderland when the club were stuck in the Championship’s familiar cycle of instability, managerial changes and mid-table mediocrity.
He quickly became an important figure under Steve Evans, bringing much-needed discipline and steel to a midfield that often lacked direction.
His performances were good enough for Leeds to make the move permanent in August 2016. Bridcutt featured 25 times in the league during the 2016/17 campaign and was appointed captain under Garry Monk as the Whites finally began to look like promotion contenders.
They finished seventh, narrowly missing the play-offs, but the club felt like it was moving forward.
Unfortunately, his second season never took off. A fractured foot disrupted his progress, and he eventually fell out of favour under Thomas Christiansen. He left for Nottingham Forest in August 2017 after making 53 appearances for Leeds.
