Martin Paterson and Alan Sheehan to assist Michael Duff at Swansea City

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Martin Paterson and Alan Sheehan alongside Michael Duff at Swansea's pre-season training camp in Spain, which runs until SaturdayImage source, Swansea City AFC
Image caption,

Martin Paterson (left) and Alan Sheehan (right) have joined Michael Duff (centre) at Swansea's pre-season training camp in Spain, which runs until Saturday

Swansea City have named Martin Paterson and Alan Sheehan as assistant head coaches to new boss Michael Duff.

Ex-Northern Ireland striker Paterson, 36, was Duff's number two at Barnsley.

Former Luton Town defender Sheehan, 36, was on Nathan Jones' Kenilworth Road coaching staff and at Southampton.

Swansea will make further additions to their backroom team - including a goalkeeping coach - following the departure of Russell Martin and a number of his staff.

Former Swansea player Kristian O'Leary will stay on as a first-team coach having been part of Martin's set-up.

Paterson has coached in the Unite States, most notably at Inter Miami - the club part-owned by David Beckham - under then-boss Phil Neville.

He returned to English football to join Duff at Barnsley in July 2022, and now follows his former Northern Ireland and Burnley team-mate to south Wales.

Paterson began his playing career with home-city club Stoke, before spells with the likes of Scunthorpe United, Huddersfield Town, Blackpool and Port Vale.

He spent five years at Burnley, winning promotion from the Championship in 2009 and playing in the Premier League.

Sheehan, who is well known to new Swansea sporting director Paul Watson, began his coaching career under Jones at Luton in January 2022, shortly after retiring as a player.

He then followed Jones to Southampton only to leave when the Welshman's brief reign ended in February 2023.

A former Republic of Ireland Under-212 international, Athlone-born Sheehan represented 12 clubs in a 16-year playing career which featured spells with the likes of Leicester City, Leeds United, Swindon Town, Notts County and Bradford City.

He helped Luton win promotion from League Two and League One during their rise from non-league football to the Premier League.

Sheehan and Paterson are both with Swansea on their pre-season trip to Spain, with Duff at the helm following his appointment as Martin's successor last week.

Martin has been joined at new club Southampton by four members of his Swansea backroom team - number two Matt Gill, goalkeeping coach Dean Thornton, sports scientist Rhys Owen and analyst Ben Parker.

Swansea academy manager Andy Goldie has also departed to take over as academy director at Southampton.

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