Sheffield Wednesday’s Championship rivals appoint new manager following shock departure

Mowbray was relieved of his position earlier this month after a downturn in results for the Black Cats, but their blip wasn’t big enough to make his departure anything other than a surprise to those outside the club.

They’ve taken a couple of weeks to make their decision on who they wanted to guide their push for the Championship play-offs, however it’s now been confirmed that Beale – who was at one point mentioned when the Owls were looking for a new boss – will lead them forward. And he’s excited to get started.

The former Rangers manager told the club’s official website, “It’s a huge honour to be joining the Sunderland family and I would like to thank Kyril (Louis-Dreyfus), Kristjaan (Speakman) and the rest of the Executive Team for the faith and responsibility they have placed in me.

“The existing coaching team deserve huge credit for the way they navigated the interim period and like all of the staff at the club, they will continue to be vitally important moving forward alongside the incredible fans that make SAFC such an historic and unique club.

“It’s clear there is some excellent work being done at senior and academy level and I’m excited to support those efforts and implement my own ideas, as we build on the strong identity already established within the club.”