Former Hull City, Newcastle United and Aston Villa star appointed manager of non-league club in shock move

The 49-year-old, a well-travelled former Premier League cult hero, hung up his boots over a decade ago and has since held a variety of coaching roles. He has worked as an assistant manager for the Peru national team and also led the likes of Swedish outfit AFC Eskilstuna and Canadian side Internacional de Toronto.

He has now sealed a return to English football, taking the reins at Blyth following their relegation to the Northern Premier League Premier Division. He will be linking up with his former Leicester City and Hartlepool United teammate Steve Howard, who is Blyth’s sporting director.

Howard said: “I am absolutely delighted my ex-teammate has decided to join Blyth Spartans as first team manager. His wealth of experience and coaching skills will be invaluable. I’m looking forward to working closely with Nobby to create a team that will get back to the level they should be, and ultimately bring success to the club for years to come.”

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Blyth’s chairman Irfan Liaquat added: “We are delighted to introduce Nolberto Solano as our new first team manager, a highly-talented individual with the perfect blend of skills, expertise, and plenty of flair. His exceptional talent, coupled with his extensive network, positions him to achieve great success with as we start our rebuild. I believe Nobby holds the key to what we’ve potentially been missing previously.”

Solano has been tasked with leading Blyth back to the National League North, on the sixth rung of the English football ladder. The club were relegated on the final day of the regular National League North season, with Farsley Celtic staying up at Blyth’s expense.

Solano said: “It’s a wonderful challenge, I’m really pleased. One of the reasons I accepted is the way my ex-teammate, Steve Howard showed me the ambition of the club which is some I love. It will be a great opportunity to work with the local lads.

"I know Blyth very well. It’s a very popular team in the North East. I’m very excited, with these wonderful players and the new owner, we need to to work hard, work together and get back up into National League North.”