5 great players who made bad managers

#3 Paul Gascoigne

Kettering Town FC Takeover — Paul Gascoigne's time as Kettering manager was a short one due to his alcohol problem

Arguably the most talented player ever produced by England, Paul ‘Gazza’ Gascoigne was one of a kind but his bizarre, maverick behaviour suggested that he’d never make a great manager. Unfortunately for a handful of poor clubs, Gazza tried his hand there and unsurprisingly failed miserably.

In a suitably strange move, Gazza began his coaching career in China, before moving back to England to take charge of Boston United in the summer of 2004. His time there lasted just eleven games before he resigned for an equally bizarre reason – apparently the club wouldn’t release him so that he could appear on TV show I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!

Also read: 5 players who peaked too soon

After some time out of the game, Gazza resurfaced in late 2005 to take over as manager of non-league side Kettering United. The move was an utter shambles, as Gascoigne lasted just 39 days in the job before being fired. The word was that his alcohol problems became so bad that he spent most of his time at Kettering drunk, including an incident that saw him stumble off the team bus in a drunken tumble.

Gascoigne has since stayed out of the game as his health – and mental – problems have worsened, and it’s probably best for everyone, including Gazza himself, if he stays away.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Amit Mishra