John Harbin

ARGYLE have appointed experienced coach John Harbin as their Performance Manager.

John, 65, will have responsibility for players’ fitness, strength and conditioning, as well as their psychological welfare.

The Yorkshire-born Australian – he emigrated Down Under when he was 10 – has worked with English clubs since the late 1990s, most notably at Crystal Palace when they won promotion to the Premier League in 2004.

John had followed Palace manager Iain Dowie moved to London from Oldham Athletic, where he had also worked alongside current Argyle boss and then Latics’ youth-team coach – and player – John Sheridan.

A rugby league player and teacher, John returned to England around the turn of the century to coach rugby league side Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.

After a brief spell as chief executive at Dewsbury Rams, he became head coach for Oldham Roughyeds, where he caught the eye of Dowie.

He joined Oldham Athletic in 2002 as a fitness coach, before spells under Dowie at Palace, Charlton Athletic, Coventry City and Queens Park Rangers.

Following Dowie’s departure from Loftus Road John moved back to Australia to coach Yeppoon Seagulls in the Queensland Rugby League Central Division.