Young managers are becoming all in the rage in the modern game.
Premier League clubs in the 1990s were hiring blokes in their mere 30s without batting an eyelid, but the reasons behind the backing of youth from yesteryear were different for why the likes of Brighton have backed Fabian Hurzeler to succeed Roberto De Zerbi.
Back then, player-managers were pretty fashionable but it’s a concept that’s drifted horribly out of the game.
While the younger managerial minds from back then were still expected to contribute on the field, those tasked with leading projects in contemporary times are restricted to the sidelines.
Here are the ten youngest managers in Premier League history.
Stuart Pearce was coming towards the end of a storied career with Nottingham Forest by the time he was appointed the club’s caretaker player-manager in December 1996.
The defender’s career at the City Ground would span 12 years and over 400 league appearances, but it’d end with Forest succumbing to the second tier at the end of the 1996/97 season.
Pearce eventually shared managerial responsibilities with Dave Bassett but would earn Manager of the Month honours in January 1997.
A brief stint in charge as permanent boss ensued 17 years on from his exit as player-manager.
Alex Neil’s managerial career started superbly in a humble Hamilton Academical environment.
In 2013, Neil was coaching in the Scottish second tier. By 2015, the then-34-year-old Scot was leading Norwich City in the Premier League.
The Canaries pivoted to the unknown commodity midway through their 2014/15 Championship campaign and Neil became the second-youngest manager in the EFL at 33. He subsequently guided the club back into the top flight via the play-offs, although the Scot failed to keep Norwich in the Premier League and would lose his job in March 2017 with the club disappointing in the second tier.
The former Leicester and Liverpool defender took charge of the Foxes for a very brief period. Kevin MacDonald was named caretaker manager in the wake of Brian Little’s departure in November 1994.
He was in the job for less than a month but did oversee a 2-1 home victory against an albeit mediocre Arsenal on his managerial bow.
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