LEE CATTERMOLE has departed from Bristol Rovers just one week after assuming the role of first-team coach.

The 36-year-old was brought on by the Rovers only a week ago, shortly before the club announced the firing of manager Matt Taylor just four days later.

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The former England youth international was regarded as a club signing focusing on “the development and implementation of set pieces.”

After Taylor’s exit, the ex-midfielder was promoted to interim manager along with Dave Horseman.

However, Cattermole left Bristol Rovers just three days prior to his first game overseeing the team at Exeter.

Horseman will now assume the role of interim manager for the Gas until a permanent replacement is found.

The exact reasons for Cattermole’s departure are yet to be clarified.

Nonetheless, there are indications that the former Sunderland player was not in contention for the managerial role.

The ex-defensive midfielder concluded his football career in 2020 after a spell in the Netherlands with Venlo.

Cattermole embarked on his coaching career in January 2022, returning to his former club Middlesbrough as the lead coach for the Under-18 squad.

The former Wigan player departed nearly a year later, remaining out of coaching until his appointment at Bristol Rovers.

Cattermole’s professional football journey began at Middlesbrough, where he made it to the senior team in 2005 after a seven-year stint in the academy.

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He later moved to Wigan in 2008, spending one year there before transferring to Sunderland.

Cattermole had a decade-long career with the Black Cats before hanging up his boots in the Eredivisie.