Michael Beale has been confirmed as the new head coach of Sunderland.

The former Rangers manager has today been officially announced by the Championship club.

The 43-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract at The Stadium of Light, committing his future to the Black Cats until the summer of 2026.

The Londoner is back in the game having been dismissed by Rangers in early October.

Beale said: “It’s a huge honour to be joining the Sunderland family and I would like to thank Kyril, Kristjaan and the rest of the Executive Team for the faith and responsibility they have placed in me. The existing coaching team deserve huge credit for the way they navigated the interim period and like all of the staff at the club, they will continue to be vitally important moving forward alongside the incredible fans that make SAFC such a historic and unique club.

"It’s clear there is some excellent work being done at senior and academy level and I’m excited to support those efforts and implement my own ideas, as we build on the strong identity already established within the club.”

Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman said: “We have monitored Michael’s career for some time and we are delighted to have reached an agreement for him to become our new Head Coach. He has an excellent and well-founded reputation for developing players and he is an outstanding progressive coach, who is aligned with our playing identity and naturally fits within our structure alongside Mike Dodds and the wider team.

"We continue to trust in our established process of identifying the right candidates to take us forward at these junctures and although Michael has had a setback, we feel we are getting him at the right time in his coaching journey and our journey as a club.”

Mike Dodds has taken the next step on his pathway and been promoted to the role of Assistant Head Coach.