Preston North End title-winner and ex-Sunderland and Sheffield United striker lands surprising new role in Australia
A member of a Preston North End title-winning squad has landed a new role in Australia.
The 1999-2000 campaign will go down in history as North End secured the Second Division title finishing on 95 points ahead of second-placed Burnley.
David Moyes’s men made a return to the First Division after 20 years of hurt with more than 19,000 packed inside Deepdale on the final day against Bristol City.
Among those featuring on the pitch was Brett Angell, who scored against the Robins on the day of celebration having spent the second half on loan in Lancashire from Stockport County. The striker played a key role in helping the Lilywhites climb back into the second-tier of English football, where he scored eight goals in 15 games.
After playing a pivotal part in Moyes' side’s triumph in 2000, the former Portsmouth, Sunderland and Everton man has landed new success 25 years later - this time in Australia.
Preston title-winner’s move to the otherside of the world
The now 56-year-old has revealed he has joined Northern New South Wales Football as a talent development officer. It’s a role the ex-striker has recently started and has explained how the job came about having spent time in New Zealand.
Speaking to the Roker Report, the Deepdale title-winner said: ‘I’m in Australia, and I’m working for Northern NSW Football as their talent development officer. We run the Talent Support Program, which supports the talented young players within the northern New South Wales boundaries. I’ve only been here for a few months – I’d been in New Zealand since 2009.
‘It all came about as I’d actually come out to Australia and did a bit of a tour around the place, and I ended up being introduced to a chap called Bob Patterson at Sydney FC and had a chat with him about working in their academy.
‘That didn’t come off but he ended up going over to New Zealand as CEO of the Football Federation in New Zealand and asked if I’d fancy going over there, so that was that. I spent about 15 years working over there (including five years as manager of New Zealand Premiership side Hawke's Bay United) and came over to Australia towards the end of last year to work with Northern NSW Football’.