Crawley Town have named former Newcastle United goalkeeper Rob Elliot as their new boss.

He arrives from National League high-flyers Gateshead on a two-and-a-half-year contract.

Assistant boss Louis Storey and coach Antony Sweeney are joining him on the big move south.

Elliott, 38, guided Gateshead to FA Trophy glory last season as interim boss.

He only signed a more permanent deal this summer.

Crawley have acted quickly after seeing Scott Lindsey join MK Dons last week.

Club chairman Preston Johnson believes Elliot can offer some continuity with his methods.

Johnson said: “We are bringing him on because he is a hungry young coach who brings plenty of experience and knowledge to the table in his own right, as well as a forward-thinking, data-driven approach to the game that will enable him to make the best decisions for the club and match what we value as an ownership group.

“Yes, our most immediate goal is to stay up this season — and we believe Rob gives us the best chance to do that — but this appointment is also about building sustainable success over the long term.”

Ben Gladwin and Steve Hafner remain in charge for this evening's fixture against Mansfield Town.