Express & Star

The former Wolves men in the world of management

Former Wolves midfielder Carl Robinson is now head coach of Newcastle Jets in Australia – and he is not the only ex-Molineux man managing abroad.

Published

Here, we go over Robinson’s move Down Under and look at four others who are in dugouts across the globe after donning gold and black.

Carl Robinson

The 43-year-old Welshman made quite a lot of appearances for Wolves – 165 to be specific – after progressing through the club’s youth ranks.

An energetic midfielder, he went on to feature for several more sides in the Football League including Walsall before spending his twilight years as a player with Toronto and then New York Red Bulls – where sporting director Kevin Thelwell is off to – in the MLS.

And he stayed there after retiring, first joining Vancouver Whitecaps as assistant boss and then landing the main gig in 2013.

After steering the Canadian club, with Kenny Miller on the books for a couple of years, to three MLS play-off appearances and the semis of the Concacaf Champions League, Robinson left in September 2018.

But now he has been offered an A-League opportunity, taking charge of the Jets on a three-and-a-half-year deal, insisting it was ‘too good to turn down’.

Jets chief executive Lawrie McKinna stated Robinson’s experience or working within a salary cap from his time in the MLS was ‘crucial’ as well.

Robinson will officially take charge next week. Best of luck to him.

Silas

Another ex-Wolves midfielder who has done well for himself is Silas.

The Portuguese, it must be said, flopped at Molineux.

Signed for around £1million in 2003, he was gone after nine appearances and no goals. Thankfully, his fellow countrymen who have arrived at Wolves since – Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and Diogo Jota to name a few – have thrived.

But what he lacked as a player, at least while in England, Silas appears to have made up for as a manager.

Silas when he signed for Wolves

As while he was sacked as Belenenses SAD chief in September, he has since taken charge of Sporting Lisbon – who are fourth in the Primeira Liga. Not a bad job to have, at all.

Neill Collins

Quite a few with Wolves links have had a fair amount of success in the states.

Midfielder Jack Price, who came through the academy and starred in the League One triumph under Kenny Jackett, has shone for Colorado Rapids – where Neil Emblen is assistant – in recent years.

Collins, who made 81 appearances at the back for Wolves, is loving life in America as well.

On the back of spending his last couple of years as a player with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, he is now their gaffer.

And former Wolves team-mate Kevin Foley is his right-hand man.

Collins added Foley to his backroom team last month and said: “Kevin has been working really hard in the Wolves academy and that will make us better and stronger this season.”

Their campaign begins at the end of March.

Joey Gudjonsson

Another midfielder from Wolves’ 2003/04 season which ended in relegation from the top flight, Gudjonsson did not make a real impact while on loan from Real Betis.

Joey Gudjonsson is managing in his homeland

He did, though, go on to have decent spells with Leicester and Burnley over here.

Back in Iceland now, he is in the hotseat at IA – or Iþrottabandalag Akraness for long.

Gudjonsson has previously managed HK – or Handknattleiksfelag Kopavogs.

Steffen Iversen

Centre forward Iversen was another who flattered to deceive in that Premier League season.

But, at 40, he is still playing, and managing, in the Norwegian fourth tier with Trygg/Lade.