Exclusive:Ex-Sunderland and Middlesbrough favourite under consideration for Gateshead job after Carl Magnay departure

Former Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Wigan Athletic midfielder Lee Cattermole is under consideration for the vacant Gateshead manager’s role.

Cattermole, who made 258 appearances for Sunderland during a decade-long stint on Wearside, is now in the frame to replace Carl Magnay at the National League side following the latter's resignation earlier this week, though a final decision has not yet been made.

The 37-year-old, born in Stockton, has been carving out a coaching career since hanging up his boots in 2020 after a spell with Dutch side VVV-Venlo. He was appointed Middlesbrough’s U18s lead coach in January 2022, returning to the club where he began his playing career and made his senior debut in 2006.

Now, Cattermole has thrown his hat into the ring at Gateshead. However, The Echo understands he is just one of dozens of applicants for the role, with the club confirming the deadline for submissions closed on Friday evening. Gateshead are now set to move into the next phase of their recruitment process, with interviews scheduled and a final decision expected by the end of next week.

The search for a new boss comes amid considerable upheaval at the National League outfit. Chairman Bernard McWilliams confirmed on Wednesday that Gateshead are currently under a FIFA registration ban due to an unresolved issue relating to a previous transfer.

"A FIFA registration ban that covers both domestic and international transfers had been imposed against us," said McWilliams in a club statement. "Once I became aware, I contacted FIFA over the matter to identify what needs to be done to rectify and lift the ban and we should have it resolved swiftly. This will not impact any planning we have in place with both manager and player recruitment."

Despite the off-field challenges, including the recent resignations of chairman Neil Pinkerton, manager Carl Magnay, head of recruitment Luke Clark, club doctor Ross Floyd, and the departure of captain Greg Olley, McWilliams insisted the club remains confident of moving forward. Magnay, who led Gateshead to a respectable eighth-place finish in the fifth tier last season, stepped down on Monday. McWilliams has since confirmed that the club has been "inundated" with applications to fill the vacancy.

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Magnay made a swift return to the dugout after being confirmed as the new assistant manager at South Shields, less than 24 hours after his departure from Gateshead was officially announced. Magnay reunites with Mariners boss Ian Watson, with whom he shares a long-standing working relationship from their previous spells together at Gateshead, MK Dons, and Carlisle United. The pair will now look to guide South Shields forward following Watson’s recent appointment as manager.

Magnay stepped away from his role as first-team coach at Carlisle United last October to begin his managerial career at Gateshead, a club he had represented as a player and player-coach across three separate stints. However, after a testing second half to the season, Gateshead narrowly missed out on a play-off spot in the National League, prompting Magnay to resign earlier this week. Despite the disappointment, the 35-year-old has wasted no time returning to the touchline and will now serve as Watson’s right-hand man at the 1st Cloud Arena as South Shields prepare for the new campaign.

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