Former Hartlepool United manager lands international coaching role
Former Hartlepool United manager Simon Grayson has been appointed assistant coach of the Indonesian national team.
The 56-year-old, who was sacked by Pools in October after just five months in charge, is set to link up with John Herdman's squad ahead of upcoming games against Bulgaria as well as Saint Kitts and Nevis in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
Grayson is no stranger to working overseas; indeed, four of his last five roles have been outside the United Kingdom.
Having left Fleetwood Town in November 2021, the former Leicester City, Aston Villa and Blackpool defender headed abroad for the first time, taking charge of Indian Super League side Bengaluru. Grayson reached the ISL final during his first season at the helm, losing on penalties to ATK Mohun Bagan, before leaving in December 2023 in the wake of a thumping 4-0 defeat at the hands of Mumbai City.
From there, the experienced manager headed to Nepal, leading Lalitpur City to their second consecutive Nepalese Super League title in April last year before returning to England to take charge of Pools.
Grayson arrived at Victoria Park in the midst of one of the most turbulent periods in the club's entire history, with controversial former owner Raj Singh having resigned from his role as chairman, only to return after the apparent collapse of takeover negotiations following a hugely contested vote among season ticket holders.
In the wake of Singh's return, Pools were rebuffed by Boston United following an approach for then-manager Graham Coughlan, who had helped steer the Pilgrims clear of relegation in remarkable fashion; at the time, the club were widely criticised for the public nature of their approach, especially given that head coach Anthony Limbrick still remained in his role.
In the end, Pools opted to relieve Limbrick of his duties in June, paving the way for Grayson to take the reins, his first job in English management in almost five years - and his first ever in the National League, albeit he was not a total stranger to the division due to the fact that his son, Joe, was on Gateshead's books.
Despite the difficult circumstances in which he took over, Pools fans were optimistic about Grayson's appointment. After all, he arrived with a stellar record in England having won four promotions in the Football League, leading Blackpool, his boyhood club Leeds United, Huddersfield Town and Preston North End to glory.
The early signs were good, with Pools securing a whole raft of new signings - Grayson welcomed 13 new recruits ahead of the campaign, as well as a number of further additions in the early weeks of the season - and pre-season was, other than a disappointing defeat at home to National League North side South Shields, fairly positive.
Pools made a fast start to the season, winning three of their first four matches and going seven games unbeaten throughout a productive August.
At the heart of their initial success was a rock solid defence, with new signings Harvey Cartwright, Jay Benn, Maxim Kouogun, Reiss McNally, Cameron John and Besart Topallaj all making an impression as Pools kept four consecutive clean sheets at the start of the campaign as well as seven shutouts in their opening 13 matches.
Yet warning signs were already beginning to appear at the other end of the pitch, with Pools looking a bit ponderous in attack and new recruits Alex Reid and Danny Johnson, tasked with replacing the prolific Mani Dieseruvwe, struggling to settle; indeed, Pools failed to score in five of Grayson's first 11 matches and it wasn't long before things started to unravel.
A run of just one win in 11 matches combined with a string of turgid and uninspirational performances saw Pools slide out of the National League play-off places and down the table; even so, at the time of his dismissal following October's draw with Northern Premier League Premier Division side Gainsborough Trinity in the FA Cup, Pools were just four points outside the top seven and the decision to sack Grayson divided opinion among fans.
Since then, Grayson has worked in a consultancy role at League of Ireland First Division side Cork City as well as making several television and radio appearances prior to his appointment with Indonesia, who are currently 122nd in Fifa's world rankings.
Writing on LinkedIn, the former Pools boss revealed he was "delighted" following his latest appointment.
"Another wonderful new experience both on and off the pitch," he added.
"I'm so looking forward to working with head coach John Herdman and his staff, this new experience is something that I've looked at doing for a while now after spending so long managing teams mainly in the UK. Being involved at a national level will only enhance me as a coach."