Cheltenham Town manager Michael Duff recently spoke to Nick Mashiter from the Independent, about his transition from his playing career to managerial career.
The former Burnley defender took the Cheltenham Town job in 2018, following on from his retirement in 2016.
The Robins missed out on promotion to League One in the COVID-hit 2019/20 season, losing to Northampton in the play-off semi finals.
Last season however, Michael Duff’s side crushed their woes from the previous tenure, and secured their place in League One for the 2021/22 season.
Duff became the Burnley Under 23s manager in 2017, following a year of being Under-18s boss for a year after his retirement.
However in September 2018, Cheltenham offered their former defender, who made 300 appearances for the Robins, the managerial position, something he could not turn down.
Speaking to Mashiter, the former Northern Ireland international said:
“I didn’t want to be the 50-year-old bloke in the pub saying, ‘I could have done this’.
“I didn’t want to turn the opportunity down and have ‘what if’ moments for the rest of my life.
“We were 21st in League Two and I didn’t win for 10 games. It was a learning curve but people like Dychey were fantastic because he was on the phone two or three times a week.
“He thought I was mad initially, walking away from the club, but I wanted that opportunity to have a go.
“As a first time manager who didn’t win for 10 games, the only remit at the time was ‘don’t get relegated’ but my career could have been over before it started.”
Cheltenham Town currently sit 16th in League One, one place above their highest ever finish in the football pyramid.
Duff says he is happy, and has a desire to go further with Cheltenham.
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