Former West Ham man lands first managerial role in the EFL

Former West Ham winger Matthew Etherington has landed his first managerial role in the game. The 41-year-old has been chosen as the new manager of Crawley Town.

The League Two side have decided to appoint him as their new boss on an initial 18-month deal. He has left his role at Peterborough U23s to take over at the Broadfield Stadium.

Etherington spent six years as a player at West Ham from 2003 to 2009 and played a key role in the club’s promotion to the Premier League in 2005. He made 195 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers and chipped in with 18 goals.

He also played for the likes of Peterborough, Tottenham Hotspur, Bradford City and Stoke City. The ex-England youth international played just under 500 games during his playing days.

The Truro-born man has told Crawley’s official website: “I am extremely excited. This is a great opportunity for both myself and Simon (Davies), and we are raring to go. I have had really positive discussions with the owners over a period of time. I met Chris (Galley, director of football) a few days ago, and it is clear to see that this club is set up to be successful.

“I have known Simon since we were 11. He is a very important person to me and is an excellent coach so I am delighted that he is joining me here. The biggest thing for me is attacking and scoring goals. If you can get that right, along with a lot of other things, you have always got a chance. I am really looking forward to meeting the lads and getting started at Southwater tomorrow.”

Etherington hung up his boots in 2014 and has since delved into the coaching world at Peterborough. He has taken over from interim boss Lewis Young at Crawley.