Ex-Newcastle United boss John Carver lands bumper contract after two offers in Scottish Premiership
It's 10 years since Newcastle United were guided to safety by John Carver against West Ham but the ex-Academy chief has landed a new role
Former Newcastle United manager John Carver has landed a bumper contract with Lechia Gdańsk in Poland's top-flight.
Carver was understood to be on the short-lists of Scottish outfits Dundee and Kilmarnock but has signed an extension to his current deal with Lechia and will kick off next season in Poland.
The 60-year-old guided hauled the Ekstraklasa side away from the foot of the table after they faced the very real threat of relegation and managed to pull off the Great Escape with no money, and working under a transfer embargo, with a team of young players. His reward is a three-year contract in Gdansk but he is expected to continue as Scotland assistant manager to Steve Clarke for the next two matches.
Looking ahead to next season, Carver told Lechia's website: "I want to see progress in the club, and what I certainly don't want is to say that we start the round by fighting to stay up. I can't tell you where we'll end up, and I'd be a fool to say that. We have something big in mind and we'll try to achieve it."
After finishing a respectable 14th place last season Carver now returns to UK shores for the close season but will link up with Scotland for games with Iceland and Liechtenstein. Carver's stint at Newcastle is also remembered by some for a 'best coach in the Premier League' comment made before the West Brom game 10 years ago - a quote that would go viral.
Addressing the comments 10 years on, Carver said: "I was simply telling the players to believe in themselves more. And that I had to believe in who I was. That was: 'The best coach in the Premier League'.
"It was tongue in cheek, but seriously, what I was essentially saying was: 'What's the point in trying to win games in the Premier League if we didn't believe we were good enough?'"