Former Sunderland boss Lee Johnson has applied for the Hibernian job and is now a leading contender to take control of the Scottish outfit, reports The Scotsman.
Johnson, 40, was last in management with Sunderland.
The former Bristol City player though is best known for his time in charge of the Robins, where he spent four years between 2016 and 2020.
He stabilised the club in the Championship but couldn’t quite get them into the top-six, before parting ways with the club and going on to manage Sunderland in League One.
The Black Cats job became the fourth of his managerial career after previously having stints in charge of Oldham Athletic and Barnsley.
Johnson would win the EFL Trophy in 2021 with Sunderland, taking them to the play-offs but losing in the semi-final to Lincoln City.
Earlier in the 2021/22 season, Johnson’s Sunderland would lose 6-0 v Bolton Wanderers in the league, prompting his exit from the club.
Now though, Johnson looks to be honing in on a return to management after putting his name forward for the Hibs job, with reports stating that Johnson is now a leading contender to take over.
A good appointment?
Johnson did relatively well at Sunderland. He was tasked with bringing about a new batch of younger players whilst also keeping the Black Cats near the top end of the table.
He did that, but inconsistencies eventually cost him his job. The Scottish game has different pressures to the English one and perhaps in a job with less media attention, Johnson can prevail.
He’s certainly an experienced manager but one who still advocates a modern style of play, so he remains a keen manager who’s on the market.
