Paul Jewell is set to appoint his former Bradford City strike partner Sean McCarthy to his Town coaching staff. New manager Jewell takes over at Portman Road today and is meeting his squad this morning.
McCarthy played alongside Jewell at Valley Parade for four seasons in the early nineties, most successfully in 1992/93 when Jewell netted 16 league goals and McCarthy 17.
The 43-year-old Welshman started his career with local club Bridgend Town before joining Swansea City in 1995, where he spent three years before joining Plymouth Argyle for £50,000.
In 1990 McCarthy met up with Jewell when Bradford paid the Pilgrims a fee of £250,000. After top scoring for the Bantams in all four of his seasons at Valley Parade, ex-Town boss Joe Royle was persuaded to take him to then-Premier League Oldham for £500,000 in December 1993.
The six-foot tall frontman and occasional defender spent five years at Boundary Park, during which time he had a short spell on loan at Bristol City, before ending his career with another three-year stint at Plymouth and two years with Exeter. Over his career, McCarthy scored 220 goals in 568 senior starts and 81 sub appearances.
McCarthy’s coaching career has been somewhat low profile up to now, starting with Manstow in Ivybridge, Devon where he worked with their U18s.
A spell on Portsmouth’s staff followed before he became boss at Zamaretto League Premier Division side Truro Town in May 2008, leaving the role in December 2009.
Since then McCarthy had been coaching at schools in the South-West, until the call came from his former team-mate and close friend Jewell earlier this week.
Jewell’s former Bradford, Wigan and Derby assistant Chris Hutchings has also been tipped for a role on the new boss’s Town staff, while newspaper reports at the weekend linked West Ham coach Wally Downes.
Roy Keane’s coaches Tony Loughlan and Ian ‘Charlie’ McParland are expected to be on their way out of the club, while reserves coach Chris Kiwomya, goalkeeping coach Jim Hollman and fitness coaches Antonio Gomez and Simon Thadani could hear whether they are to remain at Town today.
Meanwhile, Manchester United chief executive David Gill was spotted sitting next to his Town counterpart Simon Clegg during last night’s 1-0 Carling Cup semi-final first leg victory over Arsenal at Portman Road.