Sources: Fleetwood to name Crainey as permanent manager
Fleetwood Town have decided to appoint Stephen Crainey as their permanent manager, Football Insider understands.
The 40-year-old has been in caretaker charge of the League One team since Simon Grayson was sacked last month (24 November).
A Fleetwood source has told Football Insider that Crainey is set to be named full-time boss after impressing the club’s hierarchy.
An agreement is in place and an announcement is likely to be made soon.
Crainey, who was the club's Under-23s manager before he was placed in temporary charge of the senior side, has overseen an upturn in form in recent weeks.
The Cod Army are unbeaten in their last three League One games, including an impressive 3-0 win over Bolton Wanderers (7 December).
They were held to a 0-0 draw by Lancashire rivals Morecambe at the weekend as both languish at the wrong end of the table.
Fleetwood Town are now 18th in the table, two points above Morecambe who occupy the final relegation place.
As a player, Crainey represented Celtic, Southampton, Leeds United, Blackpool, Wigan and AFC Fylde as well as Fleetwood.
He was a left-back who won 12 caps for Scotland and was part of the Blackpool side that won promotion to the Premier League in the 2009-10 campaign.
This will be his first senior managerial role after spending a number of years with Fleetwood's academy.
Young products like James Hill and Ged Garner worked with Cairney and are now both key members of the first team.