Radford confirmed as new Hull FC head coach

From player to head coach, Hull FC's Lee Radford

Radford, 34, becomes the youngest coach in Super League and succeeds Australian Peter Gentle who left the club yesterday.

Former captain Lee Radford has been appointed as the new head coach of Hull FC.

Radford was unveiled at a press conference at the KC Stadium on Wednesday.

“We’ve looked at it and we feel it is right to put Hull people in charge,” said owner Adam Pearson.

Long-serving junior coach Andy Last will become Radford’s assistant, while Hull confirmed the appointment of former New Zealand international Motu Tony as director of football in succession to Shaun McRae.

Radford, who joined his hometown club in 1997 and returned for a second spell in 2006 after a successful eight-year stint at Bradford, hung up his boots two years ago to take up a three-year contract as assistant coach, although he has twice agreed to come out of retirement to answer the club’s injury crisis.

“It’s a massive honour and a massive responsibility,” Radford told the news conference. “It’s obviously a huge chapter of my life and it’s not decision that has come easy to me. I’m fully aware of how massive a job it is.”