Blues target Jack Ross has been confirmed as Sunderland's new manager.

Ross has signed a two-year deal at the Stadium of Light. His St Mirren assistant James Fowler has joined him on Wearside.

The 41-year-old told the Black Cats’ official website: “This is a fantastic opportunity to take charge of an incredible football club.

"If you look the history, the facilities and most important of all, the fanbase, you can see what this club can be.

"To be part of the team to help realise that potential is something that fills me with excitement.

“From the moment I spoke to [new Sunderland owners] Stewart [Donald] and Charlie [Methven], their energy and enthusiasm was evident and I share in that.

“There’s a lot of work to be done in reshaping the squad to ensure that we hit the ground running in League One, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Donald added: "We are absolutely delighted to have secured Jack as our new manager.

"Jack is excited to be a part of the future we are building here, and the fact he turned down lucrative offers from elsewhere, including clubs currently in a higher division than ourselves, is testament to his commitment and desire to succeed at this club and his belief in our vision for the future."

Wednesday's news that Ross had agreed terms with Sunderland came as a surprise to St Mirren with the Wearsiders only belatedly asking for permission to speak to him, which the Buddies granted “reluctantly”.

Town were similarly caught off guard having reduced their shortlist to Ross and Hurst.

As previously reported, the 43-year-old Shrews manager has been a leading contender from virtually the start of Town’s recruitment process with Ross an initial outsider but the candidate who most impressed Blues owner Evans during interviews.

Town are expected to hold formal talks with Hurst next week after Shrewsbury’s League One play-off final against Rotherham at Wembley on Sunday.

The Blues have kept their distance during the Shrews’ play-off endeavours but it’s long been understood that they have had a strong indication that discussions are likely to progress positively whatever the outcome of Sunday's match.

Town look to be on track to make an announcement in line with Evans’s outlined timescale of late May or early June, probably late next week.

Asked to comment on links with Town early this month, Hurst said: "It's just a compliment to everyone here and the season that we've had."

Pressed on whether he could guarantee that he would stay with the Shrews next season, he added: ”I can't honestly answer that - it would be wrong for me to sit here and say that. I don't know what's going to happen between now and then.

"All I can honestly say is that I enjoy it here, I've got a good relationship with pretty much everyone at the football club and I want to try and take this club to the Championship.”

Hurst's assistant Chris Doig would be likely to follow him to Portman Road while the Blues are also currently short of a goalkeeper-coach and a fitness-coach with Malcolm Webster retiring and Andy Liddell opting to move on. Those positions at Shrewsbury are held by former Wales international Danny Coyne and Marc Lindsey.

Should an obstacle emerge in their pursuit of Hurst then the Blues would return to their longer list of potential recruits with a number of those interviewed also understood to have made an impression on Evans.

Hurst is now the evens favourite to take charge at Town with Bet Victor, while former Wales manager Chris Coleman is surprisingly second in the running at 6-1 and former Brentford, Rangers and Nottingham Forest manager Mark Warburton third at 10-1.

They're followed by Tim Sherwood, 12-1, Scott Parker, 14-1, and Frank Lampard, 16-1, all of whom TWTD revealed were among those interviewed by the Blues.

Photo: Allan Picken

Razor added 13:56 - May 25 NIGEL CLOUGH!!
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BlueandTruesince82 added 13:56 - May 25 Ross should have success.. Much like Blackburn last year they will have the biggest budget in the league by some way. Anything other than top 2 should be regarded as failure for them even if the squad needs an overhaul. Given what he will have at disposal they should be streets ahead
2

blueblood_soldier added 14:00 - May 25 My opinion on The appeal that people keep questioning between Shrewsbury and town? Shrews are almost guaranteed a relegation battle, town less likely of this and has prospects with the youth and returning injured.. bigger club, more money, better facilities, and if shrews go straight back down,he is no longer that up and coming manager that has developed every club he has been at.. he would struggle to get a job in championship in the future if he failed to keep them up so to me regardless of the play off final result, we are still more attractive.. he can leave with them all sending letters of thanks like st Mirren and Ross, or they will all be shouting for him to go if it all goes sour...

6

nysully added 14:03 - May 25 The history? Yawn, next
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braveblue added 14:06 - May 25 Nazemariner. What an appalling comment. You should be ashamed.
0

liam88 added 14:09 - May 25 Personally was always a little skeptical about Ross, for some reason. Maybe this was it.
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The_Great_Cornholio added 14:12 - May 25 Everyone loves a whinge! I get the feeling Jack Ross was using us as a stick to beat Sunderland with and whether that's the case or not, he was illegally back-channelling with them the whole time. Is it just me or does Stewart Donald come across as the kind of bloke you'd never get tired of punching?!
5

baxter7 added 14:32 - May 25 I said on here even before mm left that Hurst should be our manager if we do get him let's get behind him and show what good fans we are and welcome him coybs
6

BanksterDebtSlave added 14:38 - May 25 Bad news for Suffolk cardigan sales!
7

vanmunt added 14:54 - May 25 Best of luck to him, absolutely no guarantee they will come back up at first attempt. Many teams have languished in league 1 for a few years, Bristol City, Southampton and Sheff Utd off the top of my head. Then, you could argue they may do a Portsmouth.
2

naa added 15:05 - May 25 Cheshire_Blue: we may have no money compared to many Championship clubs but we have a lot more than Shrewsbury. We have much better facilities and a better squad (when fit). We are definitely a step up for him (unlike Cook at Wigan and Mowbray at Blackburn).
3

Dermotoreally added 15:16 - May 25 "From the moment I spoke to [new Sunderland owners] Stewart [Donald] and Charlie [Methven], their energy and enthusiasm was evident and I share in that. Considering he had 2 interviews with Marcus we as a club obviously seemed to have much less enthusiasm and desire than a very very troubled Sunderland team facing a season in league 1. This concerns me slightly I must admit.

-1

dugoutdave added 15:20 - May 25 Stejin is an interesting thought. He was right up the betting at the start, stated that managing in another country was a challenge he would relish . Reported that he was supposedly joining Heerenveen which he didn't ( as far as I know). Yet he's never really come back into the limelight. ME is shrewd - he has to be to have the business he has got - so would he really drop hints about what he's doing? Sometimes wonder if Stejin is the dark horse to emerge. If we don't offer Hurst anything then I still think ME will appoint someone no-one has really considered.

3

leftie1972 added 15:29 - May 25 who?
0

runningout added 15:32 - May 25 Cannot flatter ourselves, as we are not the club we once were. We have an owner that had his fingers burnt when he started here. He could spend big but is careful, and I guess will stay that way. If Shrewsbury lose play off final, it's going to blot Hurst's season with 2 defeats at Wembley, and getting beat by Lincoln is too familiar too. Have said before you never know whoever we get maybe made for our once great club and turn it round

1

Bluetone added 15:33 - May 25 George Burley director of football Gary White the manager for me.
2

itfcgene added 15:35 - May 25 Don't know what constitutes being a smart arse, by anyone else's standards. I'm not too bothered about not getting Ross. The thing I find frustrating is that the club is treating this opening like we're a regular employer; like it's no biggie. There aren't plenty of fish in the sea and the fact we haven't gotten our (reportedly) #1 priority, after it being widely known who we're after for over a week, because we want to interview other candidates is bewildering. I can't remember witnessing this kind of publicly drawn out application and interview process with any other football club. I have worried for years that Evans is finding his feet in football; he has experimented with different types of managers, different budget philosophies and so far, we're the same mid-table mediocre team. And now we're relying on hiring a manager who is fair game for any other club to hire before we do. Obviously this would be the case whether or not we had expressed our intent publicly. but now we have to sit on our hands and hope for it to happen and if it doesn't, what then? Should just get the damn thing done silently and behind the scenes.

1

ScottCandage added 15:53 - May 25 In Boston, we don't use turn signals because it just warns other drivers what you plan to do, and gives them a chance to screw you. This is what happened here.
1

itfcashby13 added 15:54 - May 25 Tbh st mirren are a very average league 1 team so I think Sunderland was the best for him
1

cornishblu added 15:59 - May 25 For me he has blotted his copy book by apparently going behind his old club.....enough for me to say thanks but no thanks ...lets move on.....big risk going to blunderland....hero or villain almost immediately and lots of overpaid egos still on the books......only come to town if you fall in love with our club...if not plenty that will COYB
3

cornishblu added 15:59 - May 25 For me he has blotted his copy book by apparently going behind his old club.....enough for me to say thanks but no thanks ...lets move on.....big risk going to blunderland....hero or villain almost immediately and lots of overpaid egos still on the books......only come to town if you fall in love with our club...if not plenty that will COYB
1

cornishblu added 15:59 - May 25 For me he has blotted his copy book by apparently going behind his old club.....enough for me to say thanks but no thanks ...lets move on.....big risk going to blunderland....hero or villain almost immediately and lots of overpaid egos still on the books......only come to town if you fall in love with our club...if not plenty that will COYB
1

cornishblu added 15:59 - May 25 For me he has blotted his copy book by apparently going behind his old club.....enough for me to say thanks but no thanks ...lets move on.....big risk going to blunderland....hero or villain almost immediately and lots of overpaid egos still on the books......only come to town if you fall in love with our club...if not plenty that will COYB
1

BlueandTruesince82 added 16:15 - May 25 ITFC by almost all reports Hurst has always been the no target.
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reva added 16:17 - May 25 Happy with the outcome so far although I don't have a problem with Ross - but as suggested other clubs are also looking for managers like Derby - have money and could tempt Hurst to consider them - sad that in these days loyalty and a gentleman's bond no longer exist - but who can blame guys taking on a club that maybe pays' millions even to get sacked - crazy world - lets hope Evans gives us something to shout about soon

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