A former Premier League star and 2006 World Cup finalist has surprisingly been appointed as the new manager of Skelmersdale United. 

The Lancashire-based side have endured a torrid start to the new season, having lost 15 of their opening 16 matches dropping to the bottom of the North West Counties League Premier Division. 

Amid their poor start to the season, the team announced that they had parted ways with former manager Matt Potter on Sunday. 

It comes as a surprise move, with the former France international having not had any previous experience in a managerial position.

Former Tottenham star Pascal Chimbonda has been appointed as the new manager of Skelmersdale United 

The former Tottenham, Wigan and Blackburn star said he was ‘honoured’ to join the club

Chimbonda added that he has taken inspiration from some of the great managers in the game including Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho

Speaking on their new appoint the 44-year-old said that he had been inspired by some of the greatest managers of the modern age including Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. 

He told the club’s website: ‘It is a great honour to become manager of a club with a history as rich as that of Skelmersdale United Football Club.

‘This is a very proud day for me and also a wonderful opportunity, and I am very eager to get onto the training ground to start working with the players.

‘I will be focusing on greater fitness which will match the intensity I expect of all the players.

‘I’ve been inspired by Guardiola, Mourinho, Diego Simeone and Zinedine Zidane, and as such just like those great managers, my philosophy will be to play attractive football.

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‘I know how precious this club is to the supporters, and therefore we’re ready to work hard to give them what they want.’

The 44-year-old is most well known for his spells with Wigan and Tottenham, making 148 Premier League appearances. 

Most of those games during his time at Spurs where he went on to play 103 times across all competitions, while scoring four goals for the north London outfit.

The Frenchman went on to spend time with Sunderland, Blackburn, QPR and Doncaster before stepping away from football in 2012. He would return to enjoy spells at Market Drayton, Carlisle and later in his career at Durham City, before hanging up his boots in 2019.   

Chimbonda has not had a managerial position before but the club will be hoping he can turn their recent poor form around after having won only one game in 16 so far this season

After retiring, 44-year-old set up his own football academy, the PC36 Football Academy in Manchester, where he works as the Head Football Coach. 

Speaking on his side’s new appointment, Skelmersdale United chairman Frank Hughes said: “We are extremely pleased to announce that Pascal has agreed to join one of the most prestigious clubs in non-league football.

“We’ve set out to create a philosophy that will continue throughout the ages. We are going to be the standard bearers for great football, because that is what our supporters demand, and is exactly what they deserve.

“We have found the right man for the job in Pascal. His experience at the very top of elite football, shows that he has that winning mentality.

“This is a major coup for the club, and we are very excited about the future.”