Gateshead FC is in talks to appoint former Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole as their new manager following Rob Elliot's departure. Cattermole is a familiar face in the North East and has experience working in the region. He has been in talks with the club for some time and is believed to be the front-runner for the job. The club is looking for a new manager after Elliot left to join Carlisle United, and Cattermole is seen as a strong candidate to take over. He has a good understanding of the club and the region, and is known for his passion and dedication to the game. If appointed, Cattermole will have a good core in place for next season, with young talent Fenton John agreeing new terms at the club. Goalkeeper Adam Desbois was also instrumental in the Heed's survival last season and the club have taken up the option for another year in his contract. The Heed did, however, bid farewell to fan favourite Louis Storey, who has played a key role behind the scenes at the club. The 32-year-old had talks with Gateshead FC but ultimately decided to leave the club. Cattermole has become a familiar face on television as a pundit, while simultaneously continuing to develop his coaching credentials. He has been working in the youth academy at Middlesbrough and has also been part of a four-man interim management team that took the reins at the Riverside after Chris Wilder's exit. He departed the Riverside in 2023 and went on to join Bristol Rovers as part of their coaching staff, but is reportedly eager to take on a managerial role of his own. Speaking to Chronicle Live in 2023 about his ambition to get into management, Cattermole said: 'As soon as I finished playing, I made the decision to stop and then went straight on my coaching course and never really looked back until the last couple of months when I've had a break. I've been doing them the last couple of years and really enjoying it.' 'No, I'm quite relaxed whether I go in as a coach or a head coach,' he said. 'Whatever the title is, I just want to be working in the professional side of the game with the players. At 35, I'm quite relaxed and I've learnt a hell of a lot in the last two years so to continue that. I'm going to get out and try and watch some games. That's the thing when you're coaching Under-18s you don't get to watch many games because your program is every Saturday and every night you're leaving at 5pm or 6pm so you don't want to go to a game after, you need to get home. I'm excited to see what comes but I've got to do the work as well.'