The latest man entrusted with delivering Salford City’s ambitions has spent much of the past decade operating on football’s international stage.
Peter Cklamovski, who has coached at a World Cup, helped deliver Australia’s first AFC Asian Cup triumph and most recently guided Malaysia to its highest FIFA ranking in more than 20 years, has been appointed as the League Two club’s new men’s first-team manager.
For a club backed by Manchester United legends including Gary Neville, David Beckham and Paul Scholes, it is another eye-catching appointment — and one that signals the scale of the ambitions that remain at the Peninsula Stadium.
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The 47-year-old arrives in Greater Manchester following a spell as head coach of the Malaysia national team, adding another international chapter to a coaching career that has taken him from Australia to Japan and back to the international game.
Known for an attacking style of football and a strong focus on player development, Cklamovski says he sees parallels between his own ambitions and those of the club.
“I’m here with a great opportunity to do something special, and it’s a great challenge,” he said. “The owners have got lofty ambitions, the Club’s got big aspirations to achieve something special and that resonates with me.
“The way to do that and achieve success is together, and working hard on a daily basis together to grow the football club, and I’m looking forward to getting started on that.
“We want to build a mentality around the game where we fight for everything with passion, commitment, discipline, but get on the ball, be brave, be committed, and have that forward intent to score goals.
“We want to be aggressive, attacking, and we want to get our fans off their seats, get them jumping.”
Cklamovski’s coaching journey began after an aspiring playing career was cut short, leading him into sports performance and coaching while completing postgraduate qualifications in science and coaching.
His breakthrough came working alongside Ange Postecoglou in Australia’s youth set-up before the pair progressed to the senior national team, helping Australia lift the AFC Asian Cup and compete on the world stage.
A later reunion with Postecoglou at Yokohama F. Marinos delivered the Japanese club’s first J1 League title in 15 years.
Cklamovski then stepped out on his own, taking charge of Shimizu S-Pulse before transforming Montedio Yamagata from relegation candidates into promotion contenders while delivering the club’s best win percentage and points-per-game record.
Success there earned him a move to FC Tokyo, where his football philosophy helped attract record attendances and further enhanced his reputation in Japan.
His most recent role saw him return to international football with Malaysia, who finished 2025 as one of the world’s form teams and climbed to their highest FIFA ranking in more than two decades.
Salford City CEO Gavin Fleig said: “We’re delighted to welcome Peter to Salford City. Peter brings an elite and diverse experience to the club – delivering football that is proactive and on the front foot.
“His clear principles, training process and attention to detail will bring control, possession with purpose, and relentless intensity on a matchday.
“Peter has the drive, know-how and daily work ethic to raise standards, develop people and maximise the potential of our talented playing squad.
“He was the standout candidate following a rigorous process and we look forward to introducing Peter to our supporters.”
Chief Football Advisor Paul Scholes added: “Peter brings a style of football that we like to watch – exciting, attacking football.
“But he’s not just about scoring goals – he’s obsessed with keeping clean sheets too. He wants his teams to be ruthless and to have a clear identity – and that’s something that we’re excited to bring to the club.”
