5 successful player-managers in English football

#3 Gordon Strachan

Gordon Strachan saved Coventry from relegation in 1996/97

The current manager of the Scotland national side, Gordon Strachan began his managerial career as a player-manager and while he didn’t win any trophies during his stint at Coventry City, he certainly had a major impact on the fortunes of the Sky Blues at the time and played a huge role in saving them from relegation in 1996/97 – one of the Premier League’s all-time “great escapes”.

Strachan was brought to the Midlands club by manager Ron Atkinson in the latter half of the 1994/95 season, initially as a player and also as Atkinson’s assistant manager. According to reports, the club had an agreement with Strachan – who was approaching the end of his career at the age of 38 – to work under Atkinson during the 1995/96 and 1996/97 seasons, and then retire and take over as manager in the summer of 1997, with Atkinson becoming Director of Football.

Things didn’t quite go to plan, however – for Atkinson, that was. Strachan had an immediate impact on the pitch, becoming a key player and still showing signs of the class he had in his runs at Manchester United and Leeds – famously coming on as a substitute in an FA Cup tie with Manchester City to set up an injury-time equaliser for Dion Dublin. When Coventry started the 1996/97 season badly, though, despite Strachan brokering a deal to bring in Scotland captain Gary McAllister, Atkinson was fired and Strachan appointed as player-manager.

Despite more struggles, Strachan eventually saved the club from relegation in his last season as an active player; while only making 9 appearances himself on the pitch he masterminded late wins over Liverpool and Chelsea, as well as a victory over Spurs on the final day of the season to keep Coventry in the Premier League by a margin of just one point. Although he was sacked four seasons later, his efforts in saving Coventry as player-manager earn him a spot on this list.