Ball grateful for management chance
Kevin Ball admits he has fulfilled a career’s ambition by being appointed Sunderland’s caretaker manager.
The former Sunderland captain was handed the job at least until the end of the season after Mick McCarthy was sacked yesterday.
McCarthy has wished Ball, who has been working in the club’s academy for the last two seasons, good luck in his new role.
Ball told www.safc.com: “I’ve always said that I had aspirations of managing the club. I was talking about further down the line and this really is unexpected, but when I was asked I thought: ’Let’s go for it’.
“While I have the utmost respect for Mick, this is a big opportunity for me and I’m very proud to be the caretaker manager of Sunderland.
“I captained the club for eight years and I’ve experienced all the highs and the lows, just like the fans.
“I was out training with the kids when I got a call to go in. The first person I spoke to after being offered the role was my wife, and then I went to speak with the manager.
“Mick just wished me all the best and said he would give me any help I needed. We all know these things happen in football.”
Ball will take his first senior training session tomorrow and his first task is Wigan’s visit to the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
He has called on Sunderland’s fans to get behind the team despite their almost hopeless position at the bottom of the Premiership.
Ball added: “I’ll have a meeting with the players, have our say and then get out there and train. I’m excited at the prospect.
“People ask me what my aims are. I’ve always been a great believer in taking one game at a time.
"We would just like a win, and the sooner the better.
“The fans have been fantastic this season. We all know that it has been very difficult but they’ve still turned up and got behind the team.
“The most important thing now is not me, it’s the team, and the fans need to get behind them. If they do, it will be a massive help to us.”
