Bolton Wanderers have announced that they have parted company with manager Neil Lennon by mutual consent.
The 44-year-old Northern Irishman was initially appointed at the Macron Stadium in October 2014, when he replaced Dougie Freedman, but leaves his position in charge with the Trotters bottom of the Championship table – 11 points adrift of safety, with nine games to play.
Lennon’s departure from Bolton comes just five days after Dean Holdsworth’s Sports Shield consortium completed the £7.5m takeover of the troubled club, who are set to be relegated down into the third-tier for the first time in over two-decades.
This season, Lennon had guided Wanderers to just four Championship victories, with the Greater Manchester outfit succumbing to defeat in five of their last seven fixtures, including last Saturday’s 2-1 setback to Preston North End on home soil.
Academy manager Jimmy Phillips will take up first-team duties on an interim basis, until a permanent successor to Lennon is found.
A statement on Bolton’s official website read: “All at Bolton Wanderers would like to thank Neil for his contributions during his time at the club.”
