Scotland assistant manager John Carver
Scotland assistant manager John Carver
Former Newcastle United manager John Carver has been appointed as manager of Lechia Gdansk.
Carver will soon take over a new role in eastern Europe as he looks to resume his club management career but his work with Scotland will also continue. Carver, who was lead coach under Steve Clarke during successful qualification ventures to both Euro 2020 and Euro 2024, will step back into the dugout as boss with the Polish side.
Lechia announced this week that Szymon Grabowski had left his role as head coach with Carver now set to work with former Leeds boss Kevin Blackwell, who is technical director. Carver will manage the team that play at the impressive Polsat Plus Arena Gdańsk, a venue that was used at Euro 2012 and hosted the 2021 Europa League final between Villarreal and Manchester United.
But Carver has a tough task to save Lechia Gdansk from relegation with the Polish side currently five points adrift of safety in the Polish Ekstraklasa. He has coached the Scotland side in recent years and helped earn some famous wins against the likes of Spain, Norway and Croatia to name a few. Reaching the Euro 2020 finals alongside Clarke proved to be Scotland's first major finals appearance since the 1998 World Cup.
Speaking recently during a UEFA Nations League campaign that saw Scotland hold Ronaldo's Portugal to a stalemate at Hampden Park and beat Croatia, Carver said: "I think we are closing the gap on these teams and the results have been quite tight and showed that.
"I love it when we disappoint one of the world's best footballers in Ronaldo. He's coming off in a huff because he's frustrated. He's frustrated because he didn't score and we kept a clean sheet. It's always a good thing."
Carver has been in Gdansk this week ahead of his official appointment with the two-times Polish Cup winners. He was boss of Newcastle in 2014/15 when he staved off relegation with zero funds to spend on an injury hit side.
He assisted Ruud Gullit when Newcastle reached the 1999 FA Cup final and was Sir Bobby's right-hand man when the club finished fourth, third and fifth between 2002 and 2004. Carver returned to the club in 2011 and coached the team to another European finish alongside Alan Pardew.