Will Still on his 'incredibly lucky' pathway to Ligue 1

Will Still has opened up on his 'incredibly lucky' pathway towards becoming one of the youngest managers in Europe.

At 32 years old, RC Lens boss Still is currently the second youngest manager in Europe's top five leagues behind Brighton's Fabian Hurzeler, who is four months his junior.

Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, Still said:

I've been incredibly lucky I think, I started off as a video analyst, made my way up through the Belgian leagues and just tried to push as many doors as I could.

Still first garnered widespread public attention and intrigue during his spell in charge at Reims, inspiring the club to a 19-match unbeaten run in all competitions while still studying for his UEFA Pro License in 2022/23.

The Englishman began his coaching journey by working with Preston North End’s academy, before moving over to the country of his birth Belgium to take on a number of video analyst roles which ultimately led to him becoming a manager.

Recalling his beginnings in coaching, Still said on Monday Night Football: “I did a university course in Preston and part of that course was working with the under-12s at Preston North End.

“Being an outside coach coming in we travelled through the academy and watched the coaches, saw the players and got involved with the club a bit.

“That is what gave me the bug to get into football. I just knew I wanted to work in football.”

Still’s RC Lens side are currently eighth in Ligue 1, six points behind Lyon in the UEFA Conference League qualifying spot.

James Wilson

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