Fonte joins Sunderland coaching staff

Former Portugal defender Jose Fonte is joining Sunderland as part of Regis le Bris' technical coaching team. The 42-year-old retired from playing at the end of last season. His career spanned 24 years, during which he made almost 900 senior appearances for club and country. Fonte is best known in England for his eight seasons at Southampton between 2010 and 2017, during which time he made 288 appearances. Sunderland director of football Florent Ghisolfi said: "Jose joins our coaching team with a wealth of experience as a player at the top level. He will bring that experience, along with tremendous energy, to a technical staff that is already performing outstandingly under the guidance of Regis. "We believe those qualities, combined with his strong leadership skills, will add great value to our club as we look to push forward both in the Premier League and on the European stage." Fonte will officially start his role on 20 July.