Morecambe appoint first Sikh manager in British professional football
The 30-year-old, who has never previously managed a senior side, succeeds Derek Adams, who was sacked by Morecambe's new owners Panjab Warriors on Monday.
Singh Johal previously worked under former Arsenal and Manchester City defender Kolo Toure during the Ivorian's two-month spell in charge of Wigan Athletic, then in the Championship, from November 2022 before assisting former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas at Italian club Como.
A new era begins.
Hear the first words from the new Shrimps boss ⬇️#UTS 🦐
— Morecambe FC (@MorecambeFC) August 19, 2025
Earlier this summer, Singh Johal also became one of the youngest coaches in the history of the English game to complete his UEFA Pro Licence qualification.
His appointment follows Morecambe's takeover by the Panjab Warriors consortium on Sunday, ending a long period of uncertainty for the National League club, who were relegated from the English Football League last season.
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Before joining Wigan in 2022, Singh Johal spent 10 years in various roles with Leicester City's academy, working with every elite age group to Under-18 level.
Work permit issues cut short his time under Fabregas in Italy and he has most recently worked as head coach of Notts County's B team.
He has described former Leicester head coach Brendan Rogers as a 'role model' and said he is 'especially grateful' to Toure and Fabregas for the opportunities at first-team level.
Singh Johal is a product of hometown club GNG Leicester, who are linked to one of the city's, and the United Kingdom's, most renowned Sikh temples, Guru Nanak Gurdwara.
Speaking to Sky Sports in 2022, Singh Johal said: 'I'm a Sikh, so my principles, the way I live my life, I follow a certain set of principles from the Sikh religion and that will not change whether I'm in football or not.
'Whether I'm in training sessions [or] in the dugout on a matchday, that's who I am, that's how I am and I think if that visibility provides inspiration to somebody watching then that can only be a positive thing.'
Morecambe finished bottom of League Two, the fourth tier of English football, in 2024-25, bringing an end to their 18-year stay in the Football League (EFL) — which covers the second to fourth tier of the nation's football pyramid.
Morecambe's suspension from the fifth-tier National League was lifted following this week's takeover and the club has said their transfer embargo will also end immediately 'once all outstanding football-related debt are paid'.
They are currently scheduled to play Altrincham on Saturday in what would be Singh Johal's first came in charge and Morecambe's first competitive match since being relegated from League Two in May.
(Joe Prior/Visionhaus)
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