Top 5 British Football Managers of All Time

You already know who’s number one.

This season presented a unique possibility: all three European club competitions could have been won not just by English teams, but specifically by clubs from London. The Premier League has turned into a massive money machine, overflowing with star players and elite clubs. And most importantly—elite managers.

Yet it’s hard to name a single British coach today who could be considered a true superstar on the level of Jürgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, or Luis Enrique. Not even the national team is led by a domestic manager. Thomas Tuchel may be facing criticism, but there’s still little desire to return to local option Gareth Southgate. Cynics joke that the national team is above his level—and, alongside bookmakers, are tipping him for a move to the Championship, Scotland, or mid-table Tottenham.

Next Club for Gareth Southgate

Tottenham

33/1

Southampton

66/1

Rangers

66/1

The Greatest British Managers

But the current talent drought hasn’t always been the case. In this article, we look back at the managers who once made Britain proud—men of character and relentless will to win, who built teams in their image and left behind legacies that defined an era.

5. Don Revie

Years Active: 1961–1977

Teams Managed: Leeds United, England

Major Achievements:

• First Division champion (1973–74)

• FA Cup winner (1972)

• Inter-Cities Fairs Cup winner (1968, 1971)

• Charity Shield winner (1969)

Don Revie transformed Leeds United from a Second Division team into one of England’s most feared clubs. Known for his meticulous preparation and loyalty to his players, Revie’s Leeds were hard as nails and tactically sound. Under his reign, Leeds reached three European finals and won seven major trophies.

Revie was accused of fostering a “win at all costs” mentality. Leeds’ tough and sometimes brutal playing style earned them the nickname “Dirty Leeds.” Even more controversial was his abrupt resignation from the England job in 1977—he secretly negotiated a lucrative job in the UAE while still in charge of the national team, prompting The FA to ban him from football for 10 years (later overturned in court).

4. Herbert Chapman

Years Active: 1907–1934

Teams Managed: Northampton Town, Leeds City, Huddersfield Town, Arsenal

Major Achievements:

• First Division champion (1923–24, 1924–25 with Huddersfield; 1930–31, 1932–33 with Arsenal)

• FA Cup winner (1930)

• Charity Shield winner (1930, 1931, 1933)

A true visionary, Chapman revolutionized football tactics with the WM formation and placed emphasis on fitness, team shape, and counter-attacking. At Huddersfield Town, he won two league titles before making Arsenal a powerhouse, winning their first-ever First Division title.

Chapman’s influence went beyond the pitch—he helped rename the London Underground station "Gillespie Road" to "Arsenal", a rare honour and a testament to his vision for club branding. He also clashed with club directors over control of transfers, insisting that managers—not boards—should dictate football policy, an idea that would later become the norm.

3. Sir Kenny Dalglish

Years Active: 1985–2000, 2011–2012

Teams Managed: Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United, Celtic

Major Achievements:

• English First Division champion (3 times with Liverpool, once with Blackburn)

• FA Cup winner (2 times)

• Football League Cup winner (1 time)

• Premier League winner (1994–95 with Blackburn Rovers)

Dalglish is the only man to win the English league as both player-manager and manager, and he did it in style. After leading Liverpool to multiple trophies in the 1980s, he took Blackburn Rovers—a newly promoted side—to an astonishing Premier League title in 1995.

Dalglish’s managerial career was deeply shaped by tragedy—he was manager during the Hillsborough disaster in 1989 and personally attended dozens of funerals, leaving a profound emotional toll. He later resigned in 1991, citing burnout. Despite his calm public persona, he had a fiery streak: he once squared up to Alex Ferguson in the Old Trafford tunnel in a heated argument over refereeing decisions.

2. Brian Clough

Years Active: 1965–1993

Teams Managed: Hartlepools United, Derby County, Brighton, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest

Major Achievements:

• First Division champion (1971–72 with Derby County)

• European Cup winner (1979, 1980 with Nottingham Forest)

• Football League Cup winner (4 times)

• Anglo-Scottish Cup winner (1976)

Perhaps the greatest manager never to manage England. Clough turned modest clubs into champions, famously winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest—something no other British manager has done with such a club.

Clough’s brief, explosive tenure at Leeds United lasted just 44 days. He clashed instantly with the players, famously telling them on his first day: “You can throw all your medals in the bin, because you won them all by cheating.” The incident was later dramatized in the film The Damned United. He also had a long and public feud with Don Revie, the man he replaced at Leeds, culminating in a legendary joint TV interview filled with tension.

1. Sir Alex Ferguson

Years Active: 1974–2013

Teams Managed: East Stirlingshire, St. Mirren, Aberdeen, Manchester United

Major Achievements:

• 13 Premier League titles

• 2 UEFA Champions League titles

• 5 FA Cups

• 4 League Cups

• 1 Cup Winners’ Cup

• 10-time Manager of the Season

There is simply no rival. Ferguson built not one but multiple dynasties at Manchester United, transforming them into a global powerhouse. Before that, he broke the Old Firm’s monopoly in Scotland with Aberdeen, winning the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1983.

Ferguson was notoriously ruthless with players, no matter how big the name. He sold legends like David Beckham, Roy Keane, and Ruud van Nistelrooy after falling out with them. Beckham was once hit in the face by a boot Ferguson kicked across the dressing room in a fit of rage. Despite this, many players credit him for building a culture of discipline and unity. Ferguson also loved mind games—he frequently used press conferences to unsettle rivals, most notably Arsène Wenger and Rafael Benítez.