Beattie takes over at Accrington Stanley

James Beattie was appointed Accrington Stanley’s first-team manager with immediate effect yesterday.

The League Two club has been without a manager since Leam Richardson left to join former manager Paul Cook at Chesterfield at the end of last month.

Beattie, who played for Blackburn, Southampton, Everton, Stoke and England before joining Accrington in November, will be officially unveiled at a press conference this morning.