'Reality of football': West Brom Great Escape hero hints at quitting coaching amid frustrations over landing roles
A West Brom Great Escape hero who has enjoyed a number of Championship coaching roles has hinted his future could be away from football.
Former Baggies tough tackling left back Paul Robinson has been a regular figure in dugouts and on touchlines in the Championship since his playing days came to an end at Birmingham City.
He spent time at Millwall as assistant head coach to Gary Rowett - before Rowett then took him with him back to Blues when he returned to take over at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
Robinson then moved to his former club Watford, working first as an assistant before moving into analysis.
He departed the Hornets at the end of last season and had a brief spell working with non-league side Stratford Town earlier this season, departing with the club just outside the play-off spots in the Southern League Premier.
Now he is working at Oxford City in the National League North until the end of the season as he continues to look for opportunities in the EFL.
And Robinson has revealed that his future beyond the next couple of years may lie away from the game - amid frustrations over the difficulty of landing coaching roles.
Speaking to Birmingham Live, the left-back, who featured more than 230 times for Albion across a six season spell, said: "Coaching is something I genuinely enjoy — the day-to-day work, being around people and helping them improve.
"I’ve always been ambitious, though, and that hasn’t changed.
“Football is a difficult industry at the moment. There’s a lot going on, and the number of managerial changes means it can be challenging to find opportunities. At times, it can feel disheartening when roles don’t materialise.
“There’s always uncertainty about what comes next, and I’ve applied for roles that haven’t worked out, which is never easy.
"That said, I’m enjoying what I’m doing now and focusing on helping Oxford City move in the right direction.
“I’ve reached a point where I’m giving myself another year or two to continue pushing forward, while also reflecting on what the long-term future might look like.
“You invest a lot of time, effort and money into your coaching qualifications, so it can be frustrating when opportunities are limited.
"The interview process can be demanding — you prepare thoroughly and feel ready, but sometimes it doesn’t go your way.
“One of the challenges is communicating the realities of football to people who may not have experienced it first-hand — the emotion, the intensity, and what it means to those who’ve lived it. That can be difficult, but it’s part of the process.”
