David Dunn has joined Simon Grayson’s coaching staff at League One side Blackpool.

Dunn has been out of the game since leaving his position as Rovers Under-23s assistant manager in 2018 after they won the Premier League 2 Division Two title.

The 40-year-old, who made 377 appearances for Rovers across two spells, was also part of the first-team coaching set up in the final months of the 2016/17 Championship season, working alongside Tony Mowbray after he replaced Owen Coyle.

But after the arrival of Mark Venus, Mowbray’s long-term assistant, in the summer of 2017, Dunn went back to work with the Under-23s for a further season, working with Damien Johnson, since promoted to first-team technical coach at Rovers. 

The former England international will work alongside Grayson, a former team-mate during their time at Ewood Park, and is excited to be back involved with senior football.

"I'm really looking forward to being back in a day-to-day role at a football club,” said Dunn, who also had a spell in charge of Oldham in 2015/16.

 “I played with the manager at Blackburn - we live quite close to each other - and he's somebody that I respect a lot.

“I also know a couple of the players, I've coached a couple and I've played with Jay Spearing as well.

“I'm looking forward to meeting up with them again."

 

 

Blackpool are currently 10th in the League One table, two points outside the play-off spots.

Grayson, who replaced Terry McPhillips in the Pool hotseat in the summer, believes Dunn will be a shrewd addition to his coaching set-up.

He added: “David Dunn had a fantastic career as a player and has since been an under-23s coach, then ultimately became a manager at Oldham and has worked with the first-team at Blackburn.

“He’s got fantastic knowledge, experience, know-how and he’ll add something different to the staff that we’ll embrace.

“I’m sure he’s looking forward to coming here, working with the players and helping to improve them.”