The former Sunderland, Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers striker has been handed a new role in League Two

Jon Stead has been named assistant head coach at Bristol Rovers, linking up once again with Darrell Clarke following the manager’s return to the club.

The former Sunderland striker joins Rovers alongside Rhys Carr, with the pair set to support Clarke as he takes charge of the Gas following their relegation to League Two.

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Stead, now 42, enjoyed a lengthy playing career that included spells with the likes of Huddersfield Town, Blackburn Rovers, Ipswich Town and Notts County. He also spent 18 months on Wearside, making 39 appearances and scoring twice after joining Sunderland from Blackburn in the summer of 2005 for a reported £1.8million.

His first goal for the Black Cats came in a 2-2 draw at Everton in April 2006, before netting again in a Championship fixture against Southend United later that year. Stead later moved on to Derby County on loan before a permanent switch to Sheffield United in January 2007. Since retiring in 2021, Stead has developed his coaching career with spells in the United States at Hartford Athletic and Tampa Bay Rowdies before linking up with Clarke at Barnsley last season.

Carr, meanwhile, returns to Rovers after previously working within their academy. He has held coaching roles at Wolves, Sheffield United, Cardiff, Swansea, and Bristol City, and most recently served as part of Coventry City's staff, including a short stint as interim head coach last season.

Speaking about the appointments, Bristol Rovers figure Ricky Martin said to the club’s website: "We're delighted to welcome Jon and Rhys to the Club, with both arriving with a vast amount of high-level coaching experience within the industry.

"Work at the training ground has not stopped since the end of the season, with everyone working tirelessly to ensure the Club starts pre-season positively. The appointment of two Assistant Coaches of such quality is another step in this process."

What is the latest transfer news at Sunderland?

Sunderland have shown an interest in taking Chelsea defender Ishe Samuels-Smith on loan this summer, according to reports, with the Blues ready to greenlight his exit over the coming weeks.

The 19-year-old, who is capable of playing at left-back or in the heart of defence, is understood to be garnering attention from a number of clubs, with Enzo Maresca’s side eager for him to head out on a temporary agreement with view to readying him for eventual first team involvement at Stamford Bridge.

As per TEAMtalk, Sunderland are keeping tabs on the starlet, as are Championship duo Middlesbrough and QPR. Samuels-Smith joined Chelsea from Everton for a reported fee of around £4 million in 2023, and according to former Toffees U21s boss David Unsworth, could be destined for the very top.

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