Sunderland legend Kevin Ball on why ex-Fulham team-mate Chris Coleman was always destined for success

Chris Coleman's outstanding leadership skills meant he was destined to become a successful manager, says ex-team-mate and Sunderland legend Kevin Ball.

Ball, club ambassador at Sunderland, was captained by Coleman when the pair played together at Fulham in the 1999-2000 campaign.

They have remained friends and Ball says chief executive Martin Bain pulled of a major coup by landing Coleman as manager.

Coleman went from captaining the Fulham side to managing it before spells in charge at Real Sociedad and Coventry City, a short spell in Greece with AEL before a successful six-year spell in charge of Wales, leading his country to the semi-finals of Euro 2016.

Ball has hailed Coleman’s “magnificent presence and aura” ahead of today’s Championship game a league leaders Wolves.

“You could see then he would go into management,” said Ball, who also knows assistant manager Kit Symons well, the pair having played together at Portsmouth.

“When things happened at Fulham, and Chris stepped into management, you could see that about him.