Newport County have ended their search for a new permanent boss by appointing Hayden Mullins, who moves to Rodney Parade after a spell in charge of Fulham’s Under-21s.

The Exiles had been searching for a new manager since Christian Fuchs’ sudden exit at the end of June.

Fuchs, a Premier League title winner with Leicester City in 2015-16, walked away from the club on the eve of pre-season for the 2026-27 campaign.

Chris Todd stepped up as interim boss in the meantime, overseeing pre-season friendlies against Bristol Manor Farm, Newport City, Gloucester City and Reading, and is set to stay on at the club in a supporting role now that Mullins has arrived.

Assistant manager Mark Smith, meanwhile, has left Newport.

Mullins takes over a club that has now changed its manager for three summers running.

He becomes the fourth permanent appointment made by owner Huw Jenkins since he took control of County in January 2024, following Nelson Jardim, Dave Hughes and Fuchs through the Rodney Parade revolving door.

A former England Under-21 international, Mullins played for Crystal Palace, West Ham, Portsmouth, Reading, Birmingham City and Notts County during his playing days before moving into coaching with Watford’s youth set-up in 2016.

After managing the Hornets’ under-23 side, he was twice handed temporary charge of the first team, stepping in following the departures of both Quique Sánchez Flores and Nigel Pearson.

He later joined Colchester United as assistant manager in 2020, was elevated to interim boss, and then took the job permanently in May 2021 — though he was dismissed less than a year later.

A short spell in charge of the Turks and Caicos Islands national team followed in 2023, before Mullins joined Fulham as Under-21s manager.

In his debut season with the young Cottagers, he steered them to Premier League Cup success, thrashing Tottenham Hotspur’s Under-21 side 4-0 in the final.

Mullins takes charge of the first team immediately, with his first game in the dugout coming this Saturday as County travel to face Yeovil in a pre-season friendly.

Newport’s final warm-up match sees Italian side Roma visit Rodney Parade on Tuesday, 4 August before the serious business begins.

The Exiles open their competitive campaign in the Carabao Cup first round away at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday, 8 August, ahead of their League Two opener at home to Rochdale on Saturday, 15 August.

Given Fuchs guided Newport to survival last term after inheriting a side four points adrift of safety, Mullins will be expected to build on that foundation as he begins life at Rodney Parade.

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