Swindon Town have confirmed the appointment of former Lincoln City boss Mark Kennedy as their new head coach.

Kennedy has signed a two-year contract with Town to become their head coach ahead of the coming season.

The 48-year-old replaces Michael Flynn in the County Ground dug-out after he departed the club back in January, ending Swindon’s wait of over 130 days for a permanent head coach.

Upon the announcement, Kennedy said in a statement: “Firstly, I'm really excited to be here at Swindon Town and I'm very much looking forward to the project that is in place here.

"I also think it's crucial we look forward now and plan for the future with the exciting plans here at this sleeping giant of a football club, which I'm confident we can all achieve if we're all pulling in the same direction.

"Another key factor that I think is vital to us being successful together, is the connection we build between the club and the fanbase, that's something that I'm committed to and I hope that I can continue to grow and make stronger whilst I'm here.

"I look forward to meeting you all soon and I'm confident that if we can put strong foundations in place and build on the positives here at the football club, so that we will have a successful and exciting time during my period in charge."

The former Lincoln boss, who was the most expensive British teenager in history as a player, held roles in the academies at Ipswich Town, Manchester City, and Wolverhampton Wanderers, before taking the step into senior management at Macclesfield in January 2020.

That spell was to last only 12 games as the Covid-19 pandemic shortened the season and he rejected the offer of a new contract as the side was relegated into the National League, with the club being subject to points deductions for financial issues.

After returning to the Ipswich academy and working under Gary Bowyer at Birmingham City, he was once again given a managerial job at Lincoln in May 2022.

The Imps finished 11th in League One in his maiden season in charge, having the sixth-best defensive record in the division.

The former Republic of Ireland international was then dismissed in October last year with the side sat 16th in the third tier, with CEO Liam Scully saying that he was sacked based on results but also that public criticism of Danny Mandriou had factored into the decision.