Former Queens Park Rangers and Wycombe Wanderers manager Gareth Ainsworth recently sat down with UCFB to talk through his career in football and offer guidance to students pursuing their career goals in sports industry.
Gareth joined UCFB Manchester as a guest speaker during one of our Premier Events, in which students got the opportunity to network with him and hear his advice.
See what Gareth said as we spoke to him below.
What is the most important aspect of being a football manager?
The culture that you can create in a club.
How do you plan for success at a club?
You must have a long-term plan and stick to yourself of who you are. But in those early days, you’ve got to win games.
If you weren’t a manager, what would you be?
I’d be a lead singer in a band. I’m not sure we’d be making it, but I’d definitely be a lead singer in a band.
How important is education for athletes and professional footballers?
Education is important, but it’s not just the education of classroom stuff. I think sport itself teaches you a lot: resilience, teamwork, success, failure. I think we’re taking lessons all the time. I think after football, players are set up to be decent in other aspects of work because of what they learnt from the game.
Have you worked with players studying degrees?
I have. Joe Jacobson at Wycombe Wanderers was studying a finance degree, and David Wheeler was on a psychology degree. Very intellectual and a nice blend to have in the dressing room.
Biggest disappointment of your career?
Getting to the Premier League and getting a serious injury. It kept me out of the game for over a year, when I was on top of the world. Looking back, it built so much resilience in me and I realised that was my path, and I ended up playing until I was 42. There was a silver lining to that cloud.
Advice for those relocating?
Dive straight into the culture. There are different cultures everywhere. Embrace it all and dive straight in, and don’t be scared. But bring your beliefs, morals and personality to that world.
Best advice you’ve ever been given?
Work at what you’re good at. Your strengths. That, for me, was really good advice, rather than what you might not be good at. But if you can make your best even better, you’ve got a real chance.
Best moment of your career?
Taking Wycombe Wanderers to the Championship in an empty Wembley Stadium back in 2020 was pretty special. It’s something I’ll never forget. It wasn’t the final whistle, it was what happened after and what it meant for the people of Wycombe.
What is the best thing about working in football?
The people, the spirit, the emotion. Those things you can’t replay on TV. It’s those moments for me that stand out more than the football. I’m proud to say feelings are more important to me, and that’s what motivated me every day.
What’s the most shocked you’ve been while working in football?
I go back to 2020. We never envisaged us getting promoted. We believed it, but I don’t know how many people truly believed it.
What do you prefer… playing career or managerial career?
Probably being a player. It’s a brilliant, brilliant place to be. But as a manager, those moments and those emotions that you feel, not everyone in the world gets to feel those. It’s a really tough question.
Advice for people wanting a career in the sports industry?
Stay true to what you believe in, but stay humble enough to consider other opinions. If you have to adapt, adapt, because that’s still you being true to yourself. Listen to others, listen to advice. Don’t worry about being different, don’t worry about standing out and don’t worry about being the same.
Find out more about the wide range of sports industry-tailored degree courses available at UCFB by clicking here.
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