A MAJOR piece in the jigsaw of Tranmere’s new look coaching staff slotted into place over the weekend, when Kevin Summerfield was named as assistant manager.
Les Parry, about to embark upon his first full season as manager at Prenton Park, has chosen a coach with long experience and a track record of success as his number two.
Summerfield, 51, worked as a right-hand man to Paul Sturrock through promotion campaigns with Plymouth Argyle (twice), Sheffield Wednesday and Swindon Town.
Summerfield can also call on the experience of a 400+ game career as a player with West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City, Walsall, Cardiff City, Plymouth, Exeter City and Shrewsbury Town .
Parry said: “I’m delighted to appoint Kevin as my assistant and I look forward to working with him. He is a successful, experienced coach who has won promotion on several occasions and will bring a winning mentality to the club.
“He is a great addition to our coaching staff and I’m sure he will fit in very well.”
Summerfield added: “I’m really happy to have joined Tranmere and to be starting work with Les. There is a talented group of footballers here and I’m looking forward to working with them over the coming season.”
Parry had to redraw his plans for the backroom staff over the last fortnight after Rovers’ Head of Youth, Kenny Shiels, departed for Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premier League.
Parry had been planning to work with Shaun Garnett as his number two this season. Garnett stepped up from his role as youth coach in October of last season to work alongside coach Wayne Allison in assisting Parry.
The trio, who took charge of team affairs following the dismissal of John Barnes, successfully guided the team to a safe 19th place finish in League One in May.
However Allison left the club in June, when Parry found the staffing budget for 2010/11 could not cover the cost of two senior coaches. Then the long-serving Garnett went after and secured the vacant Head of Youth position he values above all others at Prenton Park.
That left Parry looking for a man with expertise and experience to fill the void on the senior coaching side – and Summerfield certainly fits the bill.
He started his career playing at West Brom as front man in 1975, winning six England youth caps. He hung up his boots as a player-coach at Shrewsbury. Summerfield took charge of the Shrews’ youth team before becoming a coach at Plymouth. After manager Kevin Hodges was sacked in 2000, Summerfield took over as caretaker boss for five matches until the appointment of Sturrock.
He again took over as Argyle’s caretaker manager when Sturrock left to become manager of Southampton. This time he was in charge for nine matches before following Sturrock to Southampton as his assistant. He also worked as Sturrock’s assistant at Sheffield Wednesday and Swindon.
During Summerfield’s first spell as Sturrock’s assistant at Plymouth, Argyle won the third and second division titles. The pair then guided Sheffield Wednesday to the Championship and Swindon up to League One.
Summerfield rejoined Plymouth as assistant manager to Sturrock in 2007 but left last October in a reshuffle at Home Park.
Meanwhile Garnett’s youth team opened their pre-season campaign with a 4-3 defeat at Holyhead Hotspur at the weekend. Dale Jennings, Connor Roberts and Liam Benson (penalty) netted for Rovers.
Former Liverpool defender David Raven has joined Shrewsbury Town on a one-year contract, snuffing out any prospect of a move to local club Tranmere.
Meols-born Raven, 25, had been linked to a move to Prenton Park this summer after being released at the end of last season by Carlisle United. He enjoyed a brief loan spell with Tranmere towards the end of the 2005-06 campaign, shortly before leaving Liverpool to sign a permanent deal with Carlisle.
Raven will be joining former Rovers centre-back Ian Sharps, who signed for Shrewsbury earlier in the summer, at The Meadow.
