Peterborough United to unveil Grant McCann as their new first-team manager

Grant McCann celebrates a Posh win in 2016.

The 41 year-old is understood to have signed a two-and-a-half year contract and is likely to assisted by his long-term associate Cliff Bryne.

McCann was at Craven Cottage last night (February 23) watching Posh lose 2-1 at Championship leaders Fulham, but as a spectator. Posh will formally introduce McCann as the new first-team boss at a 4pm press conference at the Weston Homes Stadium today.

McCann managed Posh between May 2016 and February 2018 before he was dismissed by current club chairman Darragh MacAnthony with his team in 10th place in League One and six points outside the play-off places.

Grant McCann during his final game as Posh boss in February, 2018.

McCann was replaced by Steve Evans after a 1-1 home draw with Wimbledon who was in turn replaced by Darren Ferguson 11 months later.

In his previous season in charge McCann steered Posh to an 11th place finish.

Ferguson resigned as Posh boss on Sunday leaving Posh to move quickly for McCann who has been out of work since a sacking by Hull City after back-to-back wins against top three Championship sides Blackburn Rovers and Bournemouth towards the end of January. McCann’s first home game in charge of Posh will be against Hull on Saturday (February 26).

Midfield maestro McCann was a playing hero at Posh. He was a key man in the 2010-11 side that won promotion to the Championship via the play-offs. He scored in all three play-off matches against MK Dons (twice) and against Huddersfield in the final at Old Trafford.

McCann also had two stints as a caretaker-manager at Posh and worked as assistant manager to both Robertson and Graham Westley at London Road.

McCann took charge of 105 competitive Posh matches in total, winning 42, drawing 28 and losing 35. That’s a win percentage of 40% in all competitions.

After leaving Posh he steered Doncaster Rovers into the League One play-offs, ahead of his old club, in the 2018-19 season before leaving to take charge at Championship side Hull City that summer.

A shocking collapse in the second-half of the 2020-21 season, precipitated by the sale of the club’s best two players, led to relegation, but McCann stayed and led Hull to the League One title the following season. It was a first title for The Tigers for 55 years.

Hull were 10 points clear of the Championship relegation zone when McCann left last month.

The Northern Irishman still lives locally and has two sons in the Posh Academy.