Former Premier League star Kevin Nolan has been appointed manager of Northampton Town

Former Premier League midfielder Kevin Nolan has been appointed as the new manager of Northampton Town, the club have confirmed.

Nolan, now 42, made more than 400 Premier League appearances, scoring 69 goals, for Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle and West Ham.

After managerial spells at Leyton Orient and Notts County, Nolan was most recently in charge of the Hammers, but left after David Moyes was sacked in May.

Nolan has now signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Northampton, who are currently 20th in League One. He replaces Jon Brady, who resigned from the post three weeks ago.

✍️ We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Kevin Nolan as manager of Northampton Town.

Welcome to Cobblers, Kevin! 👋 #Army shoes 👞 https://t.co/iOi0NYIg7t

— Northampton Town (@ntfc) December 23, 2024

In a statement, Northampton chairman Kelvin Thomas said: “Kevin has been very impressive throughout the process and has shown a real desire for the job.

“He coped well in difficult circumstances in both previous managerial jobs and impressed us with his knowledge, energy, experience and passion. He showed a real desire and enthusiasm for the role, he couldn’t wait to start and already took care of the training for the first time.

“Our immediate aim is to try and move up the ladder and while we understand we have challenges to overcome, we believe Kevin is well placed to lead us forward in that.”

Sam Nolan added: “I am delighted to be appointed as the new manager of Northampton Town and can’t wait to get going. We have a busy schedule during the Christmas and New Year periods, so the challenge is to get off the ground as best we can.

“The club has a good reputation in the game as a well-run club and it is clear that it has improved on and off the pitch over the past few seasons. I am proud and honored to have been given the opportunity to try to continue and develop that business.

“I believe the team can move up the table and I am determined to repay the faith the board has shown in me.

“We have no time to waste, it may be Christmas, but we have a lot of work to do in a short time and I hope the fans will come with us at the start of our journey. We will need their support and I can promise them that we will do everything we can to turn the results around.”

Nolan begins his tenure at Northampton with a trip to Reading on Boxing Day.