Ex-Sunderland star Lee Cattermole appointed to EFL first team coaching role

Former Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole has joined Bristol Rovers in a first team coaching role, the club have confirmed.

The 36-year-old spent a decade at the Stadium of Light between 2009 and 2019, registering 262 appearances across all competitions and scoring 10 goals in the process. After leaving the Black Cats, he moved to Dutch outfit VVV-Venlo before calling time on his playing career in 2020. Since then, Cattermole has worked with boyhood club Middlesbrough, and was appointed U18s lead coach in January 2022. He joins Bristol Rovers as a first team member of staff, and will focus on the development and implementation of set pieces, according to a statement from the Gas.

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Speaking about his appointment at the Memorial Stadium, Cattermole said: “I am delighted to join the coaching team at Bristol Rovers. Having spoken to the guys here and [Rovers Director of Football and former Boro defender] George Friend, I very quickly got excited about the project being developed here at the club. Everything I’ve heard about Bristol Rovers tells me it’s an exciting time to be part of things here, and I’m looking forward to getting going.”

Earlier in the season, Cattermole shared his optimism about Sunderland’s start to life under new head coach Regis Le Bris, telling Sky Sports: “I spent a long time at Sunderland and this is as excited as I’ve been about the club in the last five years. They’re doing lots of good things. I think for a young player when they go into a club, or any player, this club now is a much easier club to come and play at. You’ve got staff who have been there for a long time, you’ve got training methods, you’ve got the style of play, it’s very aligned top to bottom. I really believe in what they are doing at the moment.

“The hardest thing for Sunderland at the moment is communicating to the fan base. You have 40-odd thousand every home game and if you don’t get in the top six, how does this process keep continuing? Because it’s gone now three or four years and they need to be back in the Premier League. So does this process lead you to the Premier League? That’s the big challenge.”