Coaching Duo Join Bruce At Hull City

Sunderland reserve team manager Keith Bertschin and his assistant Stephen Clemence have left the club and joined Steve Bruce at Hull City.

The pair have been long-standing favourites of Bruce's, and have developed a good rapport with our former manager. Bertschin was appointed to the coaching staff of Birmingham City by Bruce, and followed him to Wigan Athletic and ourselves before now linking up with him at the Tigers.

Clemence was a favourite as a player for Bruce, and upon retirement he was swift to take up his first coaching role at Sunderland, assisting Bertschin in coaching the reserves, later the Development Squad.

Both have moved up in their new positions, with Bertschin becoming Hull's first team coach, and Clemence the full manager of the reserve side.

The pairs departure leaves Martin O'Neill with yet more recruitment work to do this summer in replacing them, after only bringing in a few of his own men upon arriving at the club. This could work out for the better for Sunderland however, as it's no doubt been a high priority for O'Neill to bring his own guys in after the initial hand-over period.

The currently out-of-work former Villa manager and reserve team manager at the club while O'Neill was in charge, Kevin MacDonald, has been immediately circulated as a hot-favourite to join the coaching staff in the next few weeks.