Jets appoint Carl Robinson as new head coach

Newcastle Jets have appointed Welshman Carl Robinson as their new head coach.

Robinson has been handed the reins on a three-and-a-half-year deal.

Jets CEO Lawrie McKinna has been on the lookout for a new coach since the club parted ways with Ernie Merrick a month ago, on January 6, following a five-game winless run.

The Hunter outfit picked up one point in four matches under interim coach Craig Deans before making the call to hand over the controls to Robinson, who watched the 2-0 loss to Melbourne City on Saturday, 18 January from the stands.

The 43-year-old has most recently been in charge of American Major League Soccer side Vancouver Whitecaps, where he spent six years as both an assistant and head coach.

He departed the club in 2018 and has been enjoying a break from football for almost 18 months but has jumped at the challenge of trying to lift the Jets away from the Hyundai A-League basement.

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“I am thrilled to be taking charge of the Jets. Everything I have seen about the club so far has been top class, they are desperate for success and hopefully, we can achieve that together,” Robinson said.

“After first speaking to Lawrie, I was genuinely excited about Newcastle. I spoke to several other people in and around the league and former team-mates of mine who have played and coached in Australia, and everyone was unbelievably positive about the club and the Hyundai A-League in general.

“The opportunity was too good to turn down. I am really looking forward to finalising my coaching staff, rolling our sleeves up and getting to work.

“I am moving my family from a beautiful city in Vancouver to another amazing part of the world. The city of Newcastle is a city on the up, and myself and my family are looking forward to joining the community and playing a huge part in the continued growth of football in this area.”

As a player, Robinson played 52 times for the Wales national team, while forging a strong career in England at clubs like Wolverhampton Wanderers, Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Sunderland and Norwich City

He spent a decade in the MLS, first as a player with Toronto FC and New York Red Bulls, before turning to coaching.

Robinson will have to waste little time getting acquainted with his new squad with the Jets in action on Sunday with an F3 Derby clash against New South Wales rivals, the Central Coast Mariners.

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