Cambridge United have this evening moved to appoint former Millwall and Gillingham boss Neil Harris as their new head coach on an 18-month contract, according to the official club website.
Shockwaves were felt through League Two when Gillingham and Harris parted ways back in October with the club sitting in eighth position, just outside the play-off places. However, the 2-0 defeat against Crewe Alexandra had left them winless in three and the decision was made to opt for a change.
The 46-year-old rose to prominence at Millwall, where he had previously enjoyed a stellar playing career. After taking the reins on an interim basis on several occasions, he landed the role permanently in 2015 following their relegation from the Championship. He oversaw a vast improvement, guiding the Lions to promotion at the second attempt via a play-off final win over Bradford City in 2017.
Two months after his departure from the Priestfield Stadium though, Harris is back in work with League One Cambridge United, who had been on the hunt for a new manager since sacking Mark Bonner at the end of last month. Speaking to the media upon the announcement, the ex-Cardiff City boss said;
“I am super excited and really pleased to be here. It’s a brilliant project in motion here and I just want to come and add some value to that.
“I have seen the team evolve over the past four or five years and have always followed the results from my connections with the Club from my younger days. I have always had an affinity with Cambridge but the players here have some brilliant attributes that suit the way I want to play.
“I want us to be a Cambridge United side that people fear playing against. I want to win games of football and address recent results as quickly as I can. It’s certainly not revolution, it’s about evolution and supporting the players that are already and trying to get a little more out of them.”
Harris will take charge of his first game this weekend when the U’s travel to promotion-hopefuls Charlton Athletic.
Writer’s View
This seems a very shrewd appointment Cambridge United, with Harris performing an excellent job at both Millwall and Gillingham.
It was a shock to see the Gills make the swift decision to sack the former striker in October. Yes, they’d lost four in seven, but they were on the brink of the play-offs places with 35 games still left to play. Still, Gillingham’s loss could be Cambridge’s gain.
Be the first to comment