Becoming club CEO was unexpected, says player

A footballer who has taken over as interim chief executive at his club said he had not expected to be appointed.

Michael Clunan, a 32-year-old midfielder at King's Lynn Town FC, has taken on the top job as the owners of the sixth-tier Norfolk side implement structural changes this summer.

The club said he would "oversee the club's day-to-day operations and strategic direction".

Clunan said: "This is not something that was anticipated, but when the role was proposed to me, I thought it would be good experience and would help hopefully impact next season in a positive way."

Clunan came through the academy system at Norwich City but has played in the upper echelons of non-league football in England for clubs including Scunthorpe United and Lowestoft Town.

He has played much of his football for King's Lynn and captained the club as they stayed clear of relegation trouble in National League North last season.

The player, who has experience in accountancy outside of the game, said he still had "full focus on playing for a few years" while taking on the position temporarily.

"His football and financial background, along with his knowledge of the local community, give confidence in his suitability for the role," the club said in its announcement earlier this month.

Last month the club was fined £10,000 for turning on its sprinklers and then postponing a game due to a waterlogged pitch.

The King's Lynn-born player said the team's previous season, including two changes of manager, had been "messy", adding: "That is no one's fault in particular".

The Linnets faced the prospect of relegation going into the final game against Chester, but a 0-0 draw secured their place at step two of the non-league pyramid next season.

"Ultimately, we managed to stay in the division in the last day of the season, but I am looking forward to watching the manager rebuild the team and hopefully that will gain some excitement and trust back from the fans which we probably lost this year," Clunan said.

At the end of the season, the club confirmed that Paul Caddis would continue as permanent manager for the next campaign.

"As a football club we failed them and failed to deliver on and off of the pitch, and we were lucky they kept coming back and supporting us," Clunan said.

He added that the interim chief executive role was a "chance to be involved in some of the decisions that will impact next year".

Singapore-based Turn Sports Investments completed its takeover of the club in November 2025.

The organisation's chief executive, Bal Srai, would "continue to provide ongoing investment oversight and strategic support" while the search for a permanent chief executive continues, the club said.

Clunan continued: "Over the course of the next six weeks, we are going to build that trust up and that comes with signing players, transparency with the football club and putting things in place."

The midfielder sustained an injury during the end of the season, but said recovery was "going well" and that he was "definitely raring to go" for the club's next campaign.

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