Sunderland set for discussions with 35-year-old over head coach role | OneFootball

Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus is set for talks on Thursday with Kim Hellberg about the Swedish coach potentially replacing Tony Mowbray.

Who is Kim Hellberg?

The 35-year-old is not a name that many fans will know, as his only experience as a coach has come in his home country.

After various jobs in the Swedish lower leagues, Hellberg was named as the Varnamo boss in 2022, and the 35-year-old has done an incredible job.

Varnamo finished 10th in the top-flight during his first year, and they followed that up by finishing 5th in the season that finished last month.

Given the resources at his disposal, that was a big overachievement from Hellberg, and it seems his work has caught the eye.

It is thought that Hammarby and Norrkoping are interested in Hellberg, as they look to keep him in Sweden, and with his contract expiring at Varnamo, any deal will be straightforward to do.

However, the exciting young coach could also have a proposal from England on the table.

Sunderland set for talks with Kim Hellberg

That’s after journalist Daniel Kristoffersson revealed that Louis-Dreyfus will meet with Hellberg on Thursday for talks over the job.

The decision to part ways with Mowbray was made on Monday night, and since then there has been a host of names linked with the vacancy.

But, this appears to be the most significant, due to the fact that Hellberg is going to hold talks with Louis-Dreyfus, as that indicates he is a serious candidate.

Would this be a good appointment for Sunderland?

Firstly, there are obvious risks to this appointment.

Hellberg is yet to work outside of Sweden, and whilst he did a fine job in the Allsvenskan with a smaller club, moving to the Championship, with a side like Sunderland, is a massive step up.

Furthermore, arriving mid-season is difficult as managers always talk about the importance of getting their ideas across in pre-season, which Hellberg obviously won’t get here straight away.

Yet, Hellberg is clearly a very good coach, so he shouldn’t be dismissed just because of his lack of experience in England.

His work with Varnamo is impressive, and it’s already put him on the radar of some bigger clubs in his country.

We know that Sunderland have a young squad, and Hellberg could have the forward-thinking ideas that allows them to flourish.

What next for Sunderland?

Whoever comes in at the Stadium of Light is getting thrown in straight at the deep end, as they’re set to play West Brom and Leeds at home in their next two games.

December is an extremely busy month for all teams in the Championship, and Sunderland have a huge FA Cup clash with Newcastle on the horizon too.

So, Hellberg, or whoever is in charge, will have the chance to make themselves an instant hero on Wearside if they beat the Magpies, but the immediate focus will be on the Championship.

Mike Dodds is leading the team ahead of the Albion fixture, with Sunderland currently ninth in the table and three points away from the play-off places.