Sellars and Yates head Latics top-job queue

Date published: 16 March 2015


ATHLETIC’S hunt for a new manager could draw to its conclusion soon with Scott Sellars and Mark Yates both heavily in the running.

Officials are believed to have organised a meeting with Sellars (49) — the former head of Manchester City’s academy and the current under-21s coach at Wolves — for discussions over the role left vacant by Lee Johnson.

Talks were postponed in the aftermath of a 3-1 home defeat by Johnson’s new club Barnsley.

Sources suggest ex-Cheltenham Town boss Yates (45), who ended a four-year run with the League Two club in November, has been put on a short list for SportsDirect.com Park job following an interview.

Bookmakers’ favourite Iain Dowie had not been contacted by Athletic over a possible return as of last Thursday, and the possibility of a second term in charge now appears remote.

Sellars, a former England under-21 international who played for Leeds, Newcastle, Blackburn and Bolton, left the Etihad Stadium after a difference of opinion with City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain last April. Last summer he was made under-21s head coach at Wolves.

Sellars has known trouble with the law. In January 2013 he was given a six-month suspended sentence, ordered to do 300 hours of community work and banned from driving for two years after falling asleep at the wheel in 2011 and colliding with a motorcyclist, who later died.

Birmingham-born Yates started his career at St Andrew’s and had spells at Burnley and Doncaster before moving into non-league circles. The 45 year old became Kidderminster’s captain in five years with the club, before moving to Cheltenham. A return to Kidderminster was followed by a first foray in coaching under Steve Cotterill at Burnley. In 2009 he took charge of Cheltenham and three years later guided the club to the League Two play-offs.

He left Whaddon Road in November as the third longest-serving manager in the game, with the club 18th in League Two after six wins in 18 games.