FORMER Latics player and manager Richie Wellens has been sacked by Salford City.

Wellens left Swindon to take over the ambitious Ammies in November but departs with the Class of 92-owned club sitting ninth, six points shy of the League Two play-offs with 11 games of the season remaining.

The 40-year-old has been dismissed after a run of one win in the last eight games, the final straw being Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Cheltenham.

A club statement read: “Salford City Football Club has parted company with Richie Wellens by mutual consent.

“We would like to thank Richie for his time and efforts at the club and wish him well for the future.

“An announcement about a new manager will be made in due course.”

After hanging up his boots the former Oldham midfielder returned to Latics as first team coach in July 2017 before succeeding John Sheridan in the September after a successful spell in caretaker charge.

Wellens was dismissed the following June after relegation to League Two.

But he went on to take charge of Swindon Town in November 2018, where he won the League Two title last season. 

That will have attracted Salford’s owners when replacing Graham Alexander but things have not gone to plan.

Speaking after what turned out to be his final game in charge against Cheltenham, Wellens said: “At the minute we are nowhere near it.

“We’ve not scored goals – we’ve created loads of chances in the last five or six games but our goals return has been very poor. Our strikers need to step up. If we don’t win games then we won’t achieve anything.

“It is the manner of the defeat which is really worrying. We have lost games before when we have been good and not taken chances and been unfortunate. Today we’ve not deserved anything.”