Ex-Sunderland boss Lee Johnson sets out Championship ambition after taking over at Fleetwood Town
Lee Johnson says the next step for Fleetwood Town is to push for a place in the Championship
Former Sunderland boss Lee Johnson has set out his Championship ambition after taking the reins at League One Fleetwood Town. Johnson was appointed as the Cod Army's new manager yesterday, just a fortnight after he was sacked by Hibernian following a disastrous start to the season with the Scottish Premiership side.
He takes over a Fleetwood side sitting next-to-bottom of the table, having lost five games in a row since picking up a point in the opening game of the season - a run that cost previous boss Scott Brown his job. The situation he inherits has not put off Johnson, however, and he told Fleetwood's official website: "I'm absolutely delighted to be here.
"I'm not long out of a job and I've been humbled that the club made such a big effort to get me here but, at the same time, I've known Fleetwood for a long time. I've watched the journey, which has been fantastic for the football club, and I want to be part of the new era by helping the success continue.
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"I've had good friends who have managed here, and they all spoke well about the club, that's not just the fanbase and the players, but the people around the place as well. I'm looking forward to getting down and dirty with the players, the people around the building, and the staff.
"I started my professional career at Yeovil, and I would say it's kind of a similar theme around the place in terms of it being a family club, the size of the town, and have both built up through non-league and to the heights they are now. It's ten years they've been in League One and now the next step is to try and push for the Championship."
Johnson spent 13 months as head coach at Sunderland, having been appointed in December 2020 and sacked in January 2022. During his time at the club, the Black Cats won the EFL Trophy, defeating League Two Tranmere Rovers in the final at Wembley in March 2021, but missed out on promotion to the Championship via the play-offs two months later when they were beaten by Lincoln City in the semi-finals in May of that year.