EFL boss who went from top at Christmas to sacked in March takes surprise new job in Belgium

Former Walsall manager Mat Sadler has made the move to Belgium to become the new assistant coach at Lommel SK.

The 41-year-old, who has penned a 12-month contract at Soevereinstadion, has joined former Bristol City and Sunderland boss Lee Johnson’s backroom staff.

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Sadler had been out of a job since March following his sacking at Bescot Stadium.

He spent nearly three years in charge of the Saddlers having been appointed in April 2023.

It was at Walsall where he finished his playing career – returning to the club in 2019 – lasting two seasons.

Across his two spells, he featured in 113 games, before going on to manage them on 161 occasions.

Having guided the club to fourth spot in the 2024/25 season, he then took the League Two outfit to top spot at Christmas last year – with fans dreaming of a return to England’s third-tier for the first time since 2019.

But a disastrous run of form led to the West Midlands outfit sitting in 11th place at the time of Sadler’s axing, with the club losing eight and drawing four from their previous 14 fixtures.

A new adventure

Sadler is now gearing up for his first role overseas having never played or coached outside of England.

Lommel, who are part of the City Football Group, will be playing in the Belgian Pro League in the upcoming season.

In his first campaign at the club, Johnson guided Lommel to play-off glory.

They will now be competing in Belgium’s top-tier for the first time in 23 years.

And Sadler has expressed his excitement at linking up with Lommel as they prepare for a historic season.

He told the club’s website: “I’m very pleased to be joining this ambitious club from today.

“From my conversations with Jeffrey [van As – sporting director] and Lee Johnson, I immediately had a very positive feeling.

“And it was great to see that the feeling was mutual.

“I’m really looking forward to the upcoming Jupiler Pro League season and to building something special together with my colleagues.”

Lommel chief Van As meanwhile stated: “In our opinion, Mat’s profile is the best fit for the ambitions we have as a club and for the way we want to shape our coaching staff.”