Former Birmingham City and West Brom defender Liam Ridgewell has revealed he is targeting a managerial role after leaving his coaching position at Portland Timbers.
Ridgewell made the decision to step down as assistant coach to Marti Cifuentes in August after three years on the coaching staff at the MLS club.
The 42-year-old spent five years with Portland following a fruitful Premier League career with Midlands clubs Aston Villa, Birmingham and West Brom.
Ridgewell was a member of the Birmingham side that won their first major trophy in 48 years by defeating Arsenal 2-1 in the 2011 League Cup final at Wembley.
Following the end of his stint in Portland, Ridgewell returned to England to join Southend United, but lasted just five months with the Shrimpers before calling time on his professional career.
Ridgewell then ventured into coaching, taking up his maiden role as first-team coach to assist Andy Hessenthaler at non-league side Dover Athletic, before returning to the States to join the Portland staff in 2023 where he obtained his UEFA B Coaching License.
Portland's appointment of former QPR and Leicester City boss Cifuentes in the summer opened the door for Ridgewell to make his exit as the 2014 MLS All-Star plots a route into management.
Ridgewell told talkSPORT: “I left Portland. I wanted more of a lead role. Now obviously that lead role is to manage. That's my ultimate goal. That's what I want to do.
“I took the opportunity in Portland. I had four and a half years of learning. Brilliant managers.
“Phil Neville was one of them and it was a good time. Good learning experience. If you're not adaptable in MLS, we saw that with England obviously in the World Cup, to time changes and weather and stoppages in play, you're not going to get along.
“So these experiences for me have been fantastic. Coming back, it's just getting that chance to be in there to try and lead and to try and navigate and bring my passion to the players and the surrounding people within the organisation.”
Ridgewell did not make it clear if he was seeking management opportunities in England or abroad, but he is keen to get stuck into his first job.
Citing Roy Hodgson and Steve Bruce as two huge influences on his career, Ridgewell picked out a current Premier League boss he'd like to emulate.
Quizzed on his managerial style, Ridgewell replied: “I look a lot at Fabian Hurzeler at Brighton. Obviously as a player and as a captain, I was very brash and vocal. That type of stuff. That's what I was known for.
“But I look at Fabian on the touchline and he's very calm. He seems very confident in what he's done during the week in the lead-up to games that the players understand and know what they're doing.
“I'm not saying he's not standing up and telling them what they need to do every now and again.
“But I want to be that kind of manager and that's the kind of persona I am.
“Now if you push me too far, then I'm going to snap and I'll let you know that. But I'm a very calm guy and I certainly try and get that detail out during the week so players can go out and actually enjoy the game, live the game and play the game.
“That's the type of manager that I certainly look to.”
