The Club has confirmed that Chris Powell MBE has joined Mat Sadler's coaching team, on an interim basis, taking the place of the currently injured Gary Waddock.The 56-year-old arrives at the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium with a wealth of experience both as a player and as a coach, having managed almost 300 matches with the likes of Charlton Athletic, Huddersfield Town and Southend United.
As a coach, Powell has held a number of roles, most notably with England alongside Gareth Southgate where he worked at Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
He has also had coaching roles with Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Ado Den Haag and most recently Sheffield Wednesday.
As a player, Powell played well over 750 matches and represented Southend, Derby County, Charlton Athletic, West Ham United, Watford and Leicester. He also has five England caps to his name.
Following conversations with Head Coach Mat Sadler, the former defender is looking forward to getting to work with the Saddlers, he said: "A few weeks back I received a phone call, and it was Mat Sadler.
"We’d seen each other before at various functions, football dinners, but nothing too deep. We had a good chat, he told me what was happening and if I’d be interested.
"It piqued my interest, and we spoke a few times on the phone. I came in and had a chat with him for a couple of hours, and then I came in the following week to watch them train but from a distance, and eventually I said yes it would be a good idea for me to come in and add to what they already have.
"There’s a good culture here, a good environment and when I’ve watched them train and watched the games on my iPad, because I thought it was best to look from afar, but I really like what I see, and hopefully the way things are going they can carry on for the team and for the football club.
"I love watching games, I was at West Brom v Leicester on Friday night, but there’s nothing like being on the touchline, there’s nothing like improving people, improving players and being with a group that has a common goal.
"The club wants to achieve something, and hopefully I’ll have a small part in that, but the bigger picture is trying to improve people, players and the football club as a whole."