Soccer
Meet the ex-Premier League stars managing in the National League in the 2026-27 season
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The National League is a hotbed for former Premier League players as they aim to build reputations as coaches in one of England's most competitive divisions.
Mark Hughes and Jermain Defoe both departed their respective jobs at Carlisle United and Woking, but there has been an influx of familiar faces this summer.
Indeed, many of them hold some of the biggest jobs in the fifth tier, meaning expectations will be extremely high despite some of their limited experience.
Here, DAZN News takes a look at all the ex-top-flight stars and who they will be managing this season.
Kieron Dyer - Southend United
Kevin Maher, who delivered the FA Trophy last term, was rather surprisingly sacked by Southend United over the summer after five years at the helm.
Former Newcastle United midfielder Kieron Dyer takes his place, and expectations are unknown due to his lack of managerial experience.
The 47-year-old managed Ipswich Town's under-23s between 2020 and 2022 and worked as an individual coach at League Two side Chesterfield Town for the last three years.
Dyer made 225 Premier League appearances during his playing career, with notable spells at Newcastle United, West Ham and Ipswich between the late 1990s and early 2010s.
He was also capped 33 times for England, although he never scored a senior goal for the Three Lions.
Robbie Savage - Forest Green Rovers
The only former Premier League player to retain his position as a National League manager this season is Forest Green Rovers' Robbie Savage.
Savage arrived at the New Lawn following a spell with Macclesfield last summer with hopes of promotion and delivered a seventh-placed finish before a play-off eliminator defeat to Boreham Wood.
The feeling is that the former Leicester City midfielder will need to improve on last season's showing if he is to retain the confidence of the board, who will surely be seeking a return to League Two.
He came through the ranks at Manchester United but never made a senior appearance for the club before making a name for himself with Leicester in the late 90s and early 00s.
Known for embracing the dirty side of the game, he then became a regular at Blackburn Rovers before captaining a dismal Derby County side that recorded the lowest points total in Premier League history (11).
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Lee Cattermole - Gateshead
Another man synonymous with the North East set for his first managerial venture is Lee Cattermole, who has taken the reins at Gateshead in place of the departed Rob Elliot.
Cattermole forged a reputation as a no-nonsense midfielder during stints with Middlesbrough and Sunderland and is aiming to carry his leadership qualities from his playing career into his new job.
The 38-year-old already has five years of coaching experience under his belt, having led Boro's under-18s while he also held the assistant manager position for the senior team under Leo Percovich.
Similarly to Dyer, his most recent role was as an individual coach at Bristol Rovers, but he bizarrely left after a couple of weeks, having taken the caretaker manager role without managing a single game.
Gatehead pulled off the turnaround of all turnarounds to stay in the National League last term, so the club will be striving for a more stable campaign under Cattermole.
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Lee Clark - Hartlepool United
After an extremely short and uninspiring spell at Rotherham United, Lee Clark has been given the opportunity to prove himself at Hartlepool United.
Clark's best managerial stint was his first as he turned Huddersfield Town from mid-table fodder into promotion challengers, going 43 games unbeaten across two campaigns and receiving three Manager of the Month awards in one season.
However, he has failed to replicate that since, with uninspiring spells at Blackpool and Bury tarnishing his reputation before he tested himself in the Middle East.
Another native of the North East, the 53-year-old played for Sunderland and Newcastle, but holds the hatred of the Wearsiders after donning an unsavoury T-shirt about Mackems supporters.
Clark made 184 Premier League appearances for the Magpies and Fulham and will be expected to challenge for promotion in his new job.
Rob Elliot - Carlisle United
After spearheading Gateshead's revival last season, Elliot has been given the grand job of guiding National League heavyweights Carlisle back to the EFL.
The former Newcastle goalkeeper had managed the Heed in a previous spell, where he thrived for 10 matches before taking the Crawley Town job, which was a disaster.
Elliot made 52 Premier League appearances during his playing career, all of which were for the Magpies before ending his career with Gateshead.
The 40-year-old has big shoes to fill after Hughes' departure, but the Cumbrians are well positioned to challenge for the title again this season.
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Adam Murray - Barrow
After guiding Kidderminster back to the National League, Murray has been charged with leading Barrow's bid to bounce straight back to League Two this season.
A combative midfielder in his playing days, Murray actually made his senior debut in the Premier League after coming through the ranks at Derby County.
He played 32 games in the top flight before the Rams' relegation, and went on to enjoy a career across the Football League and National League.
Since taking on his first coaching role at Mansfield, the 44-year-old has enjoyed spells at Boston, Fylde and Eastbourne before his success with Kidderminster led to him landing the Bluebirds job.
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