Reading appoint Mark Bowen as new manager

FORMER Welsh international full-back Mark Bowen is the new manager of Reading Football Club.

He steps up from his position as sporting director to become Royals boss and succeeds Jose Gomes who was sacked last week.

Bowen, who has more than 20 years’ of coaching experience, 17 years of which were spent competing in the Premier League, joined the club as a consultant towards the end of the 2018-19 campaign.

He was key in helping the first team earn the results needed to climb away from the bottom three.

Chief executive Nigel Howe said: “In the relatively short period of time that Mark has already spent at Reading Football Club, he has commanded respect and admiration from all who have worked alongside him.

“He came in at a critical period last season to help us retain our Championship status and had an immediate impact.

“Mark has two decades of coaching background on his CV, has tasted promotion to the Premier League and spent most of his coaching career in top-flight football.

“He knows this club and the owner and the board believe he is very capable of getting the very best out of a talented group of first team players and achieving the results we all want.”