Former Premier League midfielder Kevin Nolan has been appointed as the new manager of Northampton Town, the club have confirmed.

Nolan, now 42, made more than 400 Premier League appearances, scoring 69 goals for Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle and West Ham.

After managerial spells at Leyton Orient and Notts County, Nolan was most recently on the Hammers’ coaching staff but left after David Moyes was sacked in May.

Nolan has now signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at Northampton, who currently sit 20th in League One. He will replace John Brady, who resigned from the position three weeks ago.

✍️ We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Kevin Nolan as manager of Northampton Town.

Welcome to Cobbler, Kevin! 👋 #ShoeArmy 👞 https://t.co/iOi0NYIg7t

— Northampton Town (@ntfc) December 23, 2024

In a statement, Northampton chairman Calvin Thomas said: “Kevin has been very impressive through the process and has shown a real desire for the job.

“He performed well under difficult circumstances in both his previous managerial jobs and impressed us with his knowledge, his energy, his experience and his passion. He showed real desire and enthusiasm for the role, couldn’t wait to get started and has already taken charge of training for the first time.

“Our immediate aim is to try to move up the table and while we understand we have challenges to overcome, we believe Kevin is well placed to lead us on that.”

Nolan himself added: “I’m delighted to be appointed as the new manager of Northampton Town and can’t wait to get going. We have a busy schedule over the Christmas and New Year period so the challenge is to hit the ground running as best we can.

“The club has a good reputation in the game as a well-run club and it is clear that it has progressed on and off the pitch over the last few seasons. I am proud and honored to have been given the opportunity to try and continue and develop that work.

“I believe the squad can progress up the table and I am determined to repay the faith the Board of Directors has shown in me.

“We have no time to lose, it may be Christmas but we have a lot of work to do in a short time and I hope supporters will join us as we begin our journey. We will need their support and I can promise them that we will do everything we can to turn the results around.”

Nolan begins his Northampton tenure with a trip to Reading on Boxing Day.