Fleetwood appoint ex-Oldham and Barrow boss Wild

Fleetwood Town have appointed former Oldham Athletic, Halifax Town and Barrow manager Pete Wild as their head coach.

The 40-year-old has agreed a deal of undisclosed length with the League Two club following Charlie Adam's exit at the weekend.

Wild will take over on 27 December with current first-team coach Matt Lawlor in charge for the Boxing Day visit of Chesterfield.

"I am really excited to have the opportunity to manage such a progressive football club," Wild told the club website., external

"Although discussions have moved quickly, both myself and [assistant boss] Adam [Temple] feel like there is a clear direction from everyone at the football club and we really feel we can support that journey.

"We can't wait to meet everyone and get fans, staff and players moving in a forward direction."

Fleetwood sacked Adam after just under a year in the job following a run of one win in 11 league games.

The Cod Army lost 2-0 at Barrow on Saturday, their fifth defeat in a run which also included five draws, and were knocked out of the FA Cup round by Reading at the first-round stage.

Former Liverpool midfielder Adam took charge on New Year's Eve 2023, replacing Lee Johnson, in his first job as a manager.

The 39-year-old failed to prevent the Lancashire club being relegated to League Two at the end of last season and they are currently 18th in the table, eight points above the drop zone.

The job is Wild's first managerial position since leaving Barrow in the summer after a campaign in which they narrowly missed out on the League Two play-offs.

"At this point we felt it was important to bring in someone who has extensive knowledge of the division we find ourselves in - and Pete was the standout candidate," Fleetwood owner Jamie Pilley said.