Co-operative Championship One club Oldham have appointed Bulls and England centre Scott Naylor as their new head coach on a two-year contract.

The 40-year-old, who has also played at Salford, was chosen on the recommendation of his former City Reds boss Shaun McRae to succeed Tony Benson, who was sacked last month and was this week appointed coach of newcomers Oxford.

Naylor has been coaching Leigh’s rugby union team since parting company with Salford as assistant to McRae in 2009.

Oldham chairman Chris Hamilton said: “I spoke to Shaun at length and he gave Scott a huge rap. He is hungry to get back into rugby league and he has a burning desire to do well.
“He’s a rugby league man through and through and he has been looking for an opportunity like this for some time.”
Naylor scored 60 tries in 159 Super League appearances, most of them with Bradford for whom he played in three Challenge Cup finals and was twice a Grand Final winner, and gained four caps for England in the 2000 World Cup.