Simon Grayson appointed manager of Indian Super League club Bengaluru

Former Blackpool boss Simon Grayson has agreed to manage Indian Super League club Bengaluru.

The experienced manager has signed a two-year deal with the Bangalore-based side having revealed he was close to moving to the country before the coronavirus pandemic.

Grayson is not the first Englishman to take charge of Bengaluru, with ex-Crewe defender Ashley Westwood enjoying a three-year stint in charge of the club between 2013 and 2016.

He told the official club website: “Coming to India was a possibility that I had looked into two years ago.

“But the pandemic put all things on hold. When the chance came across again, I was excited to look into it. This presents a new opportunity in my football career and it is one that really excites me.”

Grayson’s most recent post was in charge of Fleetwood, who sacked the former Leicester defender in November.

During a managerial career that started in 2005, the 52-year-old has achieved four promotions from Sky Bet League One with Blackpool, Leeds, Huddersfield and Preston.

“When I spoke to the owner, his mindset was the same as mine. I want this club to be winning trophies again,” Grayson added.

“I am aware that BFC has been very successful in the past but the last few years haven’t worked out like everybody would have liked it to. That happens in football – you learn from it and strive to do better – to get players to work harder on the pitch and off the pitch; that’s the exciting part for me.”