mkdons.com takes a look at the career of new Asssistant Head Coach, Chris Lucketti...
Born in Greater Manchester, Chris Lucketti came through the youth ranks at Rochdale but started his professional career with Halifax Town.
The defender made 78 appearances for the Shaymen between 1991 and 1993, before joining Bury with whom he spent a large part of his career. Lucketti spent six years at Gigg Lane, tallying 235 senior appearances and winning back-to-back promotions with the Shakers as they climbed from Division Three to Division One.
In 1999, Lucketti signed for Huddersfield Town and went on to play 76 times for the Terriers, scoring twice. He then moved to Preston North End at the start of the 2001/02 season, spending five years at Deepdale, totalling 200 appearances while at Deepdale and helping the Lilywhites reach the Championship Play-Off Final in 2005.
Lucketti joined Sheffield United in March 2006 and played his part as the Blades won promotion to the Premier League. He made his top-flight debut in January 2007 and featured in seven more Premier League games during the 2006/07 season.
Returning to the Championship with the Bramall Lane club, Lucketti soon moved on loan to Southampton, playing the remaining four games of the 2008/09 season with the Saints.
Lucketti then joined Huddersfield Town in August 2008 and a further made 16 appearances for the Terriers in what proved to be his final season as a player. He finished his career with over 600 league appearances and three promotions to his name.
Beginning his coaching career within the youth teams of Preston North End, Lucketti joined former North End teammate, Graham Alexander, at Fleetwood Town in December 2012.
Playing his part in guiding Fleetwood to promotion from League Two, Lucketti was then put in caretaker charge of the Cod Army following Alexander’s departure in September 2015. He took control of five games, winning three of those, before being kept on as assistant to Steven Pressley for the remainder of the 2015/16 season.
Lucketti, though, left the Fylde coast in July 2016 to work alongside Alexander at Scunthorpe United and in their first season together at Glanford Park, they reached the League One Play-Off Semi Final.
In November 2017, Lucketti was appointed to his first-ever Head Coach role, taking the reins at former club Bury. He managed 10 games at the then-Sky Bet League One outfit, before leaving his role in January 2018.
Lucketti linked up with Alexander for a third time in June 2018 when he was appointed assistant manager of Salford City. Together, the pair led the Ammies to promotion to the EFL for the first time, as well an EFL Trophy Final. They left Greater Manchester despite the team sitting fifth in the League Two table.
The duo were reunited again on January 2021, when they took over control of Motherwell. During their 18th-month spell together, they picked up the third-most points of any SPL club and secured European football for the Fir Park outfit.
