Former Sunderland midfielder takes charge of Ligue 1 strugglers

Former Sunderland midfielder Eric Roy has been appointed as the new coach of struggling Ligue 1 side Brest.

Roy played 34 games for Sunderland during the 1999/2000 season after joining on a free transfer from Marseilles and quickly gained a reputation on Wearside as a stylish midfield player.

The Frenchman played the full 90 minutes in Sunderland’s famous 4-1 Premier League over Chelsea in December 1999, partnering Paul Thirlwell in central midfield.

Roy has been appointed at Brest until the end of the season, replacing Michel Der Zakarian who won just one of this last ten matches.

He faces a tough task to save the club from relegation, with them currently sat in the bottom four of Ligue 1 and two points from safety.

It will be Roy’s second foray into coaching after a spell with Nice in 2010. That did not go all that well, with him sacked for gross misconduct although courts later ruled he was wrongfully dismissed.

He then had spells with RC Lens and Watford in Sporting director roles. He comes back at Brest after being away from football since July 2020 when he left Vicarage Road. 

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