ENGLISH football coach and former player Adrian Richard Whitbread has been handed the task of supervising BahrainÕs senior menÕs national team, following the sudden departure of former boss Anthony Hudson.

The Bahrain Football Association (BFA) announced WhitbreadÕs appointment in a media statement issued last night.

It is unclear how long Whitbread will be in his supervisory role with the national team. He had previously been coaching BahrainÕs under-23 Olympic football team.

The 42-year-old Whitbread is a former defender. He played with several clubs in England between 1989 and 2003, taking to the pitch for the likes of Leyton Orient, Swindon Town, West Ham United, Portsmouth, Luton Town, Reading and Exeter City.

Whitbread has been coaching since 2003. Aside from a few assistant jobs in his home country, he has also coached in Puerto Rico and in Antigua and Barbuda.