Lincoln City Announces the Appointment of New Head Coach
Lincoln City has officially announced the appointment of their new head coach, Michael Skubala, succeeding the previously dismissed Mark Kennedy. The esteemed Skubala takes over after a 'rigorous recruitment process', according to the club statements.
Background on Michael Skubala
Boasting more than two decades of high-level coaching experience, Skubala joins Lincoln City from the coaching staff at Leeds United. His professional journey also comprises multiple assignments with the Football Association, including a significant role with the England U18 team.
Club’s Reaction to the Appointment
The club’s Chairman, Clive Nates, lauds Skubala as "one of the most exciting young coaches in the game right now". The existing provisional head coach, Tom Shaw, will maintain his association with the club in the capacity of assistant head coach.
Mr Skubala said: "It feels great to be here, it has been a really warm welcome and I'm looking forward to getting going. I'm really excited to work hard with the players every day, to meet the fans and be part of Lincoln City. I feel something here that I felt when I moved to Leeds, which is how important the supporters can be to the club."
Previous Experience
As part of his previous endeavors, Skubala led the England futsal strategy as the manager for the national teams, overseeing more than 200 games as an international head coach. He joined Leeds United's coaching team at the start of the 2022/23 season, even helming three games— including a 2-2 draw at Manchester United— as an interim head coach.
Chairman’s Take on Michael Skubala
Nates has highly commended the appointment, confirming that the club had been following Skubala due to his distinction as an exceptional young coach.
Nates further commented, "We have been tracking Michael for some time and had a robust recruitment process to ensure he was the right person for us at this time. We see this as a progressive appointment - Michael shares our ethos on player development, style of play and ambition. He has a clear vision for how he implements this."
Skubala’s Influence on Young Talent
Skubala has shown a clear pattern of nurturing young talent, developing technically advanced players such as Levi Colwell from Chelsea and Rico Lewis of Manchester City while at England, and Archie Gray and Crysensio Summerville at Leeds United U21s.
The club expressed delight at the prospect of having Tom Shaw continue his services as assistant head coach.