Fleetwood chairman 'supremely confident' of Barton's appointment

He said: ''I have appointed managers with no previous experience in the past and they have always been successful. There is a risk in any appointment, but knowing Joe as I do, I am supremely confident he will be a huge success.'' 

Barton is due to commence his coaching duties when his contract begins on the 2nd of June. He is currently serving a ban from all footballing activities after admitting to breaching betting rules, with the suspension due to expire on the 1st of June.

The former Manchester City star has had more than his fair share of controversies both on and off the pitch, but Pilley is adamant that he is a reformed character, and will be able to offer guidance and caution to Fleetwood's players.

Pilley said: ''I know him well, like most people he has made mistakes in the past, but I think he has learned from those mistakes and I am confident that it will be a great appointment for us.

''I think he is going to be a top, top coach and I was happy to offer him the job. Joe will match everything about this club. We try to be ground-breaking, we try to be forward thinking, that is two descriptions I would give to Joe. I think we are aligned on and off the pitch.''

Barton will be taking the reins at Fleetwood, in an attempt to earn promotion to the Sky Bet Championship.