Town boss Paul Cook has confirmed that former England international and ex-Sunderland manager Peter Reid is joining his coaching team on a consultancy basis.

Reid watched the Blues’ last two matches and at the Shrewsbury game was sitting alongside CEO Mark Ashton and chief operating officer Luke Werhun.

The 65-year-old previously worked alongside Cook at Wigan in a similar role under the title technical director.

“I worked with Peter for three years at Wigan,” Cook told iFollow. “He’s a great guy. In the footballing world, you’ll rarely find someone who is as respected as Peter Reid, not just as a footballer but also what he’s done as a manager.

“Peter coming in is great, not just for me, but the other coaching staff and the club itself. Having people with that amount of experience at a football club can only be good.”

Reid added: “Anywhere I can help I will, and hopefully my experience should bring something new to the set-up.

“If there's something I think will help then I'm never afraid to say it, and I've really enjoyed working with Paul in the past.

“This is a huge football club and I'm really looking forward to being involved, starting with a trip to Fratton Park next Tuesday as I'll be at that one.”

In November 2017, Cook was linked with the Sunderland manager’s job but instead suggested Reid could make a return to Wearside where he enjoyed significant success and outlined how the two were working together at Wigan.

“I’ve said before I think it’s an absolute crime someone like Peter wasn’t involved in and around a football club,” Cook told Wigan Today.

“The experience, the enthusiasm, the knowledge… he was first in this morning, watching videos on Crawley.

“If someone like Sunderland did look to go down that road, I’d be very much for it and I think he’d be fantastic for Sunderland. We talk about football for hours.

“People wondered when Peter arrived what kind of a role he would have. But there was never any specific role. It was just about having Peter in the football club.

“I think the chairman and Peter kick each other in the directors' box when the game’s going on, it’s like that. It’s invaluable having someone like him to bounce off. Every day with Peter you’re learning something.

“I might have been tough on one of the lads, but then you’ll see Peter whispering in his ear later, offering something else. As a football person, I enjoy football people, and Peter is a real football person.”

In addition to Sunderland, Reid has also managed Manchester City, the England U21s, Leeds, Coventry, Thailand, Plymouth and Mumbai City, while he was a player at Bolton, most famously Everton, QPR, Manchester City, Southampton, Notts County and Bury in addition to representing England at the World Cup in 1986.

Photos: Reuters/Matchday Images

istanblue added 15:27 - Oct 16 ''Ay Paul, thanks mate for givin' us a job''
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