Former Chelsea and Bristol City midfielder Jody Morris appointed Swindon Town boss

Swindon Town have appointed former Chelsea and Bristol City midfielder Jody Morris as their new head coach.

Rumours had been swirling on social media that the 44-year-old was set to be appointed after he was spotted watching the club's last match against Gillingham alongside owner Clem Morfuni and Chief Executive Rob Angus.

He joins the Robins at an exciting time with the team sitting just in 6th position in the League Two table.

His appointment comes after former head coach Scott Lindsey left the team earlier this month to take over at Crawley Town.

Speaking on his appointment Morris said: "I’m incredibly excited to be joining Swindon Town as First-Team Head Coach.

“This is a great opportunity at a wonderful football club that is steeped in history, and I can’t wait to get started.

“My footballing philosophy is completely aligned with that of the club, and upon meeting Sandro, I was presented with a strategy and vision that I’m really keen to be a part of.

“I’m extremely proud to be leading such a forward-thinking club, with an owner and technical director that are passionate and committed to bringing success here.

“We now turn our attentions to an important 19 league games, with promotion at the forefront of our ambitions, and we want to take this incredible fanbase on a long and successful journey.”

Town owner, Clem Morfuni, said: “I’m delighted we can confirm the appointment of Jody Morris as our new First-Team Head Coach.

“Jody brings a wealth of knowledge to the club and really relates to our aims, objectives, visions and values.

“With Gavin Gunning and Steve Mildenhall working as part of their team having done a fantastic job in the interim, we feel we have an extremely strong coaching setup to push us towards promotion this term.”

The position is Morris' first in management but he has had successful spells as Frank Lampard's number two at both Derby County and Chelsea in the Premier League.

He also had a good stint in charge of Chelsea's academy team and was credited with bringing a lot of young talent through for the West-London club.

Morris' first match in charge of the team from the County Ground is against Newport County on Saturday.