The Wellington Phoenix have appointed Chris Greenacre as Ernie Merrick's assistant coach in this season's A-League football competition.
Greenacre assisted former coach Ricki Herbert last season and took over the coaching reins when Herbert resigned late in the season.
The Phoenix general manager David Dome says the club wanted to retain Greenacre's services and says they see him having a long-term future with the club.
Merrick, appointed head coach earlier in the week, says the former Phoenix player has the attributes to make a good coach and says it didn't take him long to make up his mind that Greenacre was the right man for the job.
