Assistant head coach for League One side Cheltenham Town, Russell Milton has served for the Robins as both a player (1997-2003) and in various coaching roles from 2015 including caretaker manager, Academy manager and his current position as Michael Duff’s right hand man.
It has been 25 years since he made his first appearance in the Cotswolds as a player for Cheltenham Town, when he joined the club from Dover Athletic.
The former midfielder controlled the left-flank for Cheltenham for six years and played a vital part in their promotion into the Football League for the first time in their club’s history.
He made over 200 appearances for Cheltenham and contributed 14 goals with his memorable sweet left-foot, before returning to non-league at Bath City.
It wasn’t the last Cheltenham saw of him though, as he made a return to the town seven years later to be a part of the youth coaching team and made his journey into the first team coaching staff in 2015.
During his time as assistant first team manager, he has experienced the highs of two promotions including the club’s return to the Football League in 2016 and lifting the trophy as champions of League Two in 2020.
Additionally, he helped lead the Robins to the FA Cup fourth round for the first time since 2006, before they missed out to Manchester City, despite leading the match with ten minutes to play- it was still a monumental occasion for the squad.
His dedication and loyalty to the club can only be admired: “It’s clear there’s a drive and a passion for this side of football for him”, says Simon Harrison, the Bristol Area Academy manager at Pro Football Academy.
With his sixth year anniversary as assistant manager approaching, and Cheltenham a respectable mid-table in League One, he doesn’t look like he is going anywhere just yet.
