Hired and fired in ten minutes

EX-soccer star Leroy Rosenior was appointed boss of a struggling club — then sacked after TEN MINUTES.

The former West Ham and Fulham striker broke the record for English football’s shortest managerial reign after being introduced with a fanfare by Torquay United.

Sports journalists were summoned to a press conference which finished at 3.30pm. Then — at 3.40pm — Leroy was told by the chairman that the Devon club had been sold to a business consortium. And that meant he was OUT.

Last night Leroy, 43 — who was once tipped to be the first black England manager — said: “For it to happen ten minutes after I finished the press conference was a bit of a shock. But we had a good laugh about it afterwards.”

Leroy smashed the previous record for the shortest time as manager — Dave Bassett’s 72 hours at Crystal Palace in 1984.

He joked: “Obviously they thought I had done a fantastic job after ten minutes and let me go.”

The post was Leroy’s second stint at Torquay, who will face next season in the Conference after finishing bottom of the Football League.

He was boss between 2002 and 2006 when he left by mutual consent. Since then the club has been in a managerial crisis, with four different bosses in the hot seat.

Leroy — who was unveiled as manager at the club’s Plainmoor stadium — said: “I wish them the very best of luck. They are going to sort me out a bit of compensation.”

Last night Torquay director Debbie Hancox insisted the club’s sale was not done and dusted — which could mean Leroy might still be manager.

She said: “Nothing has been confirmed legally on this yet.”