Forest appoint Philippe Montanier as head coach

Nottingham Forest have ended their long hunt for a new boss by appointing Philippe Montanier as head coach.

The former Rennes and Real Sociedad manager arrives at The City Ground on a two-year deal.

The announcement ends a search which began with the sacking of Dougie Freedman back in March.

philippe-montanierMontanier had a playing career which saw him make more than 300 appearances for clubs including Toulouse, Nantes and Saint-Etienne.

After ending his career as a goalkeeper, the Frenchman took charge of Boulogne in 2004 and, during his final season, secured promotion to Ligue 1 for the first time in the club’s history.

A brief spell in charge of Valenciennes followed before Montanier was appointed as head coach at Spanish side Real Sociedad in 2011.

He exceeded all expectations in the 2012-13 season as he guided the club to a fourth-place finish in La Liga and subsequent qualification for the Champions League.

At the expiration of his contract with Real Sociedad, Montanier took over the reigns at French club Rennes. During his three-year spell with the Ligue 1 side, Montanier steered them to the Coupe de France final in 2014.