David Preece and Lee Johnson react as Sunderland's new goalkeeping coach is announced

Preece, who started his playing career on Wearside, has been working with the Black Cats throughout pre-season and will replace Lee Butler in the role.

Since retiring as a player, the 44-year-old has been part of the backroom staff at Lincoln and worked as a goalkeeping coach at Swedish side Ostersunds FK.

Following the announcement, Preece told Sunderland’s website: “It would be an understatement to say that I'm delighted to be back at the club.

"I’m looking forward to the season ahead and all I want to do now is to get to work alongside the great staff and players already in place and do whatever I can to help the club progress."

While Sunderland have been looking to fill the vacant role, long-serving coach Mark Prudhoe has been working with the club’s keepers.

Black Cats head coach Lee Johnson added: “It is a great story for Preecy to return because he’s a local lad and I think he has unfinished business at the club.

“He has a good relationship with Mark Prudhoe, which is obviously going to play a big part in the goalkeeping sector moving forward, and I think that was important, but he also has the career to back up the detail.

"You need a very unique and specialised set of coaching skills, and human skills, to be a goalkeeping coach and we believe we have the right man for the job.”

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