Lee Bradbury: Eastleigh appoint Crawley Town assistant as their new manager

Lee Bradbury played for 11 different Football League clubs during his days as a centre-forward

National League club Eastleigh have appointed Crawley Town assistant Lee Bradbury as their new manager.

Former Portsmouth and Bournemouth striker Bradbury, 46, succeeds Ben Strevens, who left Eastleigh in January after three straight league defeats.

The Spitfires are without a win in 10 games overall but sit 15th, 12 points clear of the relegation zone.

"I felt like I was ready for a new challenge as a manager again," said ex-Havant & Waterlooville boss Bradbury.

"It's been a tough decision to leave Crawley but I'm looking forward to the challenge and it was exciting to come to a club like this to get that opportunity."

Bradbury played more than 500 Football League games for several clubs including Manchester City, Crystal Palace, Oxford and Southend.

But the majority of his appearances and 92 goals came with south coast duo Pompey and Bournemouth - and he began his managerial career with the Cherries in 2011 after Eddie Howe's first departure from the club.

He spent seven years in charge of Havant from 2012-2019, leading them to promotion to the National League, before a brief spell as Eastbourne Borough manager was followed by three years as John Yems' assistant head coach at Crawley, where his contract has been "mutually terminated".

Eastleigh caretaker Jason Bristow will remain as part of the first-team coaching staff, while maintaining his role as head of youth development at Silverlake Stadium.

League Two Crawley, meanwhile, have announced that Lewis Young has stepped up to take Bradbury's role as assistant to Yems.