Ever heard of a manager who became his successor?
No? Well, that’s exactly what Adam Clayton is doing at non-league Matlock Town.
The former Middlesbrough and Leeds United midfielder was sacked on Saturday and re-hired as manager two days later.
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Matlock Town “acknowledged” the strange situation when announcing Clayton’s return on Monday, saying it was “probably surprising” given they mutually agreed to part ways on Saturday.
However, the statement announcing his departure and the club’s related social media posts have been removed from the internet.
Friday’s 3-0 loss to Ossett United saw the former Premier League player lose his first job in management, despite Matlock finishing third in the Northern Premier League East table.
On Saturday, it was said the results “were not up to the standard” despite Matlock having lost just two of his last six games.
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On Monday, Matlock boss David Hilton explained that Clayton had been released to pursue an opportunity at another club higher up the English football pyramid.
Hilton said the Gladiators initially “decided not to allow these discussions to take place until the end of the season”, fearing it would “upset” the Derby County club, before releasing the manager to pursue his opportunity.
When Clayton turned down the chance to start over elsewhere, the 36-year-old is said to have “asked for reinstatement” so he could “finish what he had started.”
Hilton said in a statement on the club’s website: “While the earlier decision was taken with the long-term welfare of the club in mind, further reflection and ongoing dialogue have highlighted the importance of stability, continuity and shared direction.”
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Clayton began his career at Manchester City and was still playing last season when Matlock was promoted from midfield to interim manager.
Despite Matlock being relegated last season, Clayton were handed the permanent job and by the end of his “first” spell in charge the Gladiators closed the gap to league leaders Redcar Athletic to seven points.
