Sunday 26 October 2014 15:24, UK
Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino has told Sky Sports News HQ he will appoint Neil Redfearn as head coach on a permanent basis.
Redfearn, 49, recently took caretaker charge of the club after Cellino sacked Dave Hockaday in September but the full-time job was given to Darko Milanic instead, who was sacked after just 32 days on Saturday.
Former Crystal Palace, Charlton and Barnsley defender Redfearn has taken temporary charge of Leeds five times since joining as a youth coach in 2009 and went undefeated in his most recent stint, with three wins and a draw.
Milanic left his job with Sturm Graz to join the Yorkshire club but failed to win any of his six games in charge, prompting Cellino to apologise to Leeds fans upon his dismissal.
Former Leeds player John Hendrie, who played with Redfearn at Barnsley, believes Redfearn must be wary about taking the job, however.
“He knows the football club, its history, the young players, the foreign players and he has a rapport among the supporters,” Hendrie said.
“There’s a feel-good factor around him and he’ll embrace it as well, but what he has to be careful is if it goes pear-shaped?
“He’s in a strong position at the moment and if I was him, given Cellino’s record for sacking managers, I would want a clause in the contract that says he can go back to his academy job, in which he’s doing a sterling job.”
