Loughborough University Football Club have announced that Stuart McLaren has been appointed as the club’s new Head Coach.
McLaren, 35, was born in Scotland but emigrated to Australia in 1998 to play for Brisbane Strikers, a club he later went on to manage.
After leaving the Strikers, he became the assistant manager at North Queensland Fury since 2010 but left the club to be closer to his family.
The 35-year-old made 128 appearances for Brisbane Strikers scoring 11 goals predominantly playing as a central midfielder or at centre back.
McLaren, who also played at Stirling Albion, Hamilton Academical, Queensland and Perth Glory, replaces Tom Curtis as Head Football Coach who took up international duties as Technical Director and Head Coach of the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association in March.
The football club have also announced news that former student and member of the club, Robbie Simpson, who currently plays on loan for Brentford, has sent the club one of his playing shirts from his time at Coventry City.
Club President, Pete Simmons said: “It’s a fantastic gesture from Simmo. He has been a major success story for the club over the past few years. The plan is to get it framed and put it up in new function room.”
Simpson joined the Championship side when he left Loughborough in 2006 and has since been the subject of a £100,000 signature by Huddersfield. However, his career stalled at the Yorkshire club before being rejuvenated at Brentford this season reaching the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final at Wembley this year.
Furthermore, the club have revealed that current Loughborough U19 player David Tino Tarawali has been called up to represent Sierra Leone U20s National team.
