Sunderland have confirmed that Mike Dodds will leave the club to join Wycombe Wanderers

Mike Dodds has thanked Sunderland’s supporters for their ‘unmatched’ passion and support ahead of his departure from the club next week.

The club’s assistant head coach has been appointed as the new boss at Wycombe Wanderers, but will remain in his current role for tomorrow night’s clash with Middlesbrough before starting work at Adams Park later next week. Dodds initially joined the Black Cats as Head of Individual Player Development within the club’s academy, but was promoted to a senior coaching role under Alex Neil after a brief stint as interim boss.

He would remain a fixture in the senior set up thereafter, taking over as interim boss on two further occasions. Dodds said he had doubt that the club would go on to enjoy more success under head coach Régis Le Bris.

"After four incredible seasons, my time at Sunderland AFC has come to an end. I would like to thank Kyril and Kristjaan for their trust and support and I depart with a deep respect for their leadership and vision for the Club’s future,” Dodds said.

“I’ve had the honour of working alongside some incredible people, including Alex Neil and Tony Mowbray, who were both fantastic mentors. Equally, the Club is in a strong place and I have no doubts that Régis will lead it to even greater successes alongside an incredible group of players, whose unwavering professionalism and desire to improve meant every day was a privilege. Finally, I must express my gratitude to the Club’s fans for their passion and support, which is truly unmatched. It’s never easy to say goodbye, but I leave Sunderland with a full heart and great anticipation for what lies ahead. Thank you for making Wearside feel like home.”

It remains to be seen whether Sunderland will look to recruit further to their backroom staff. Sunderland moved to strengthen their coaching staff earlier this season, appointing Pedro Ribeiro as assistant head coach alongside Dodds. Mike Proctor and goalkeeping coach Alessandro Barcherini complete the current first-team coaching group, which may need to be bolstered. U21s boss Graeme Murty has previously stepped up to assist the first team group on occasions and that seems likely to the be the interim solution.

Your next Sunderland read: The confirmed Middlesbrough and Sunderland team news with 14 ruled out, 2 doubts and likely debuts - gallery