SWINDON Town have announced the appointment of Ed Brand as the club's assistant head coach.

The former Chelsea Under-18s head coach has agreed an 18-month deal on a full-time basis, with plans to bring the 36-year-old to the club on secondment binned following lengthy delays.

Brand finally joins Morris - who was confirmed as Town boss on January 30 - at SN1 and will take his place in the dugout for Saturday's League Two fixture against Carlisle United at the County Ground.

Following confirmation of his new role, Brand said: “It’s fantastic to join such a highly-regarded club with such an ambition.

"It’s taken a little while to everything over the line, but I’m delighted it’s all done and I can take my place in the dugout for tomorrow’s game.

“There are some really great foundations here to build on and I believe we can achieve something very special.

“I’m looking forward to working alongside Jody once again. He’s a close friend and a top coach, and I’m excited to help him implement his philosophy and take us to where we want to go.”

Having coached in the Chelsea academy since 2008, Brand worked with Morris in the U18 setup in 2016, winning every competition they were involved in over a two-year period.

As head coach of that age group, he guided their talented young squad to U18 Youth Cup and U18 Premier League Cup successes in 2020 and 2022, respectively.

Brand also assisted Joe Edwards with the Blues' development squad as they reached the UEFA Youth League final two seasons running.

Meanwhile, in Morris' post-match interview on Saturday, the Town boss said: "I'm really pleased this saga is over.

"Between the EFL and whatever legalities needed to be done, it's gone around the houses and some roundabouts too three or four times before coming to fruition now.

"I don't know exactly how it was sorted, it was frustrating enough without having to listen to all the jargon that was coming out from different angles.

"I'm just pleased it's done now and we can crack on with work."