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The Best English Managers in charge of Foreign Teams in International Football

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Several English managers have been fairly successful while being at the helm of foreign teams in international football.

English managers are not a popular choice to lead the teams at the international or club levels. Such is understandable since they are not even the dominant figures in the Premier League. In the 2024/25 season, only three gaffers are enlisted in the English top flight. 

However, the appointment of Steve McLaren as Jamaican national team coach was quite a surprise at the beginning of this season. The former Middlesbrough and Newcastle United boss had been in the dugout as a head coach any longer since 2019. In 2022, he returned to Manchester United as Erik Ten Hag’s assistant. McLaren was also infamous for his failure to lead England to qualify for EURO 2008 rather than his success in winning the first league title for Twente. Yet, it did not stop Reggae Boyz from signing him. His target would be none but guiding them to their second World Cup appearance in the 2026 edition.

Should he manage to do so, he would be the first Englishman to lead his foreign team to a major tournament. The last one who did it was John Herdman. The current Toronto FC boss brought Canada’s men's team to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Previously, he was at the helm of the women's team to clinch a bronze medal in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.

So, who are the best English managers in charge of foreign teams in international football? Here are those distinguished figures who might have been forgotten.

Jimmy Hogan

Jimmy Hogan was one of the English managers with a better reputation abroad than in his own home country. He was known as the founder of ‘Danubian school’in football, which focused on the game relying on the players’ versatility and ongoing passing for the fluidity in attack and defence. In short, such was the core of Total Football. It was the tactics that led to the rise of Austria’s Wunderteam in the 1930s, the Mighty Magyar or Hungary in the 1950s, and the Netherlands in the 1970s.

The Nelson-born gaffer began his managerial career in 1910, when he was still actively playing for Bolton. Hogan took charge of Netherland side Dordrecht for two years and impressed Dutch FA KNVB to lead De Oranje in a friendly match against Germany, which they won 2-1. The English boss also had a brief spell in Weiner-Amateur SV, the old name of Austria Vienna, in 1911-12 before turning into a professional club. Once his tenure in Dordrecht ended in 1912, he moved back to Bolton for his final season as a player. Hogan fully became a manager in 1914 and started his career in Hungary, as he was named MTK Budapest head coach.

The manager, who was once touted as a ‘traitor’ due to spending more of his coaching career in Central Europe, laid the foundations of possession-based football during his spells in Hungary, Switzerland, Austria, and France from mid-1910s to 1930s. Hogan even helped La Nati and Austria clinch silver medals in the 1924 and 1936 Olympics, respectively. No wonder Ferenc Puskas and Co expressed their gratitude and respect to him as the pioneer of modern football for their golden generation.

Unfortunately, the former Young Boys and Racing Paris manager did not enjoy the same success in England. The manager, who was once a prisoner of war during World War I, never won a single league trophy during his last years in the dugout in Fulham and Aston Villa, whereas in Europe, he lifted the trophy six times (five for MTK Budapest and one for Young Boys).

Teams to lead

Notable games

Major tournaments

Netherlands (1910)

vs Germany 2-1 (friendly match)

-

Switzerland (1924)

vs Lithuania 9-0 (1st round)

vs Czechoslovakia 1-1 (aet); 1-0 (replay in 2nd round)

vs Italy 2-1 (quarterfinal)

vs Sweden 2-1 (semifinal)

vs Uruguay 0-3 (final)

1924 Olympics

Austria (1936)

vs Egypt 3-1 (1st round)

vs Peru 2-4 (aet) (quarterfinal)

(the match was to be replayed due to Peru’s fans pitch invasions and insult to Austrian players. FIFA ordered to replay but Peru refused. As a result, Austria was declared to win WO (walkover)).

vs Poland 3-1 (semifinal)

vs Italy 1-2 (aet) (final)

1936 Olympics

Jack Charlton

He was the most notable manager in Irish football history and received huge respect there due to his dedication and service during his ten-year stint with The Boys in Green. Charlton was part of the England winning squad in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, alongside his famous brother, Bobby.

The former Leeds man began his managerial career in 1973 with Middlesbrough. He was at the helm of Boro for four years, with fourth place as their best finish in the 1974/75 campaign. Charlton then led Sheffield Wednesday and Newcastle United with moderate success before taking the offer from the Republic of Ireland’s football governing body, FAI, in 1986.

The manager, who once served the British Army between 1953 and 1955, made an instant impact by leading Ireland to their first major tournament, EURO 1988. Although they were unable to progress from the group stage, Ray Houghton and Co. managed to secure an important 1-0 victory over England and held the Soviet Union in a 1-1 draw before losing to the Netherlands in the last game.

That was only the beginning of their series of successes to qualify in two World Cup editions, 1990 and 1994. Jack Charlton’s men were able to reach the quarterfinals and round of 16, respectively. Ireland’s decline began in the mid-1990s as they failed to secure the last berth in EURO 1996 via playoff stage. Roy Keane and Co. slumped to a 2-0 defeat to the Netherlands. He eventually resigned not long after the match ended.

Teams to lead

Notable games

Major tournaments

Republic of Ireland (1986-1996)

vs England 1-0 (group stage)

vs USSR 1-1

vs Netherlands 0-1

EURO 1988

 

vs England 1-1 (group stage)

vs Egypt 0-0

vs Netherlands 1-1

vs Romania 0-0 (5-4 pen) (round of 16)

vs Italy 0-1 (quarterfinal)

1990 World Cup

 

vs Italy 1-0 (group stage)

vs Mexico 1-2

vs Norway 0-0

vs Netherlands 0-2 (round of 16)

1994 World Cup

George Raynor

The most successful English manager abroad in international football is definitely none but George Raynor. He was the key figure in Sweden’s success in the 1940s and 1950s, as he took charge of the team in three different spells. Raynor brought them to win gold medals in 1948 Olympic games in his own homesoil, plus he led them to qualify in three World Cup editions, including the 1958 edition. It was Blagut’s best achievement in the tournament history to date by reaching the final, only to be outclassed by the legendary Pele. Such cemented his status as the first Englishman in a World Cup final before Sir Alf Ramsey and his 1966 winning team.

His success undoubtedly earned him great respect in Sweden. Raynor also revolutionised the game by initiating the creation of a role similar to today’s deep-lying forward. Such position was called ‘G-man’ back then. Unfortunately, his innovative tactical ideas were not well received in England. He only had brief stints in modest teams like Aldershot, Coventry City, Skegness Town, and Doncaster Rovers without a single silverware in hand. His best campaign while taking charge of the club was with AIK Stockholm by winning two domestic cups. His spell in Italy with Lazio in the 1954/55 season was not memorable as they only finished on the lower table.

Teams to lead

Notable games

Major tournaments

Sweden (1946-1954)

vs Austria 3-0 (1st round)

vs South Koreas 12-0 (quarterfinals)

vs Denmark 4-2 (aet) (semifinal)

vs Yugoslavia 3-1 (final)

1948 Olympics

 

vs Italy 3-2 (group stage)

vs Paraguay 2-2

vs Brazil 1-7 (final four)

vs Uruguay 2-3

vs Spain 3-1

1950 World Cup

(third place)

 

vs Norway 4-1 (1st round)

vs Austria 3-1 (quarterfinal)

vs Hungary 0-6 (semifinal)

vs Germany 2-0 (third place playoff)

1952 Olympics

Sweden (1957-1958)

vs Mexico 3-0 (group stage)

vs Hungary 2-1

vs Wales 0-0

vs USSR 2-0 (quarterfinal)

vs Germany 3-1 (semifinal)

vs Brazil 2-5 (final)

1958 World Cup

 


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