Former England youth manager believes homegrown coaches don’t get a fair chance in England

Dean Henderson of England and manager Paul Simpson ceebrate with the trophy after the FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017 Final match between Venezuela and England at Suwon World Cup Stadium on June 11, 2017 in Suwon, South Korea. (Photo by Alex Morton - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Former England U20 manager and current Carlisle United boss Paul Simpson believes that coaches from the UK don't get as many opportunities within the English game as their foreign counterparts.

Simpson has worked at clubs such as Preston North End, Bristol City, Shrewsbury Town and Stockport County during his career, though the League One boss has never even had a sniff at reaching the Premier League. 

At the beginning of the 2023/24 Premier League season, eight of the 20 managers hailed from the UK, five of which are under the age of 50. However, Simpson, who won the U20 World Cup with England in 2017, suggests that clubs prefer alternative options to British coaches.

CARLISLE, ENGLAND - APRIL 29: Carlisle United Manager Paul Simpson reacts on the touchline during the Sky Bet League Two between Carlisle United and Salford City at Brunton Park on April 29, 2023 in Carlisle, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Paul Simpson is now the Carlisle United manager (Image credit: Getty Images)

Speaking to FourFourTwo, Simpson points towards the confidence the Netherlands has in building up their own coaches, lamenting the lack of similarity in England. 

"I think the fact we’re English or British goes against us," Simpson tells FFT. "It’s sexier for clubs to go for foreign coaches, and when that happens he’ll bring in four or five assistants from his own country which denies openings for four or five from here. 

"Don’t get me wrong, a lot of the continental coaches are excellent, but homegrown coaches don’t get a fair chance despite the FA having a great education system. 

"I did my pro licence alongside Ruud Gullit, who was Feyenoord’s technical director at the time. One member of our group asked why English coaches never got jobs in Holland. He laughed and said why should they hire Englishmen when they already had the best coaches in the world? 

Ruud Gullit during the U19 Men match between Holland U19 v Portugal U19 at the Sportpark Nieuw Zuid on September 10, 2019 in Katwijk Netherlands (Photo by Laurens Lindhout/Soccrates/Getty Images)

Gullit told Simpson that clubs in the Netherlands have a lot faith in coaches from their own country (Image credit: Getty Images)

"I wish a few chairmen here had so much faith in their compatriots."

The cost of a UEFA Pro Licence in the UK compared to elsewhere in Europe could suggest reason as to why fewer British coaches are getting opportunities, though. 

Essential for someone who wishes to manage a club in the top tier of any nation's league, the UEFA Pro Licence costs just over £1,000 in countries such as Spain, while those looking to complete the course will have to pay over £10,000 in England - and that's if there even any available places on the minimal amount of courses held at St. George's Park.                      

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Ryan Dabbs
Staff writer

Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future. 

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