Ex-Stoke City and Sheffield Wednesday star Glenn Whelan lands new manager's job | OneFootball

Former Stoke City and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Glenn Whelan has taken his first steps into management in Scotland.

Stoke City and Sheffield Wednesday supporters will be watching with interest after their former midfielder Glenn Whelan made his latest career move.

After beginning his career at Manchester City and having two loan spells at Bury, Whelan made the move to Sheffield Wednesday in the summer of 2004, and he went on to score 16 goals and provide six assists in 159 appearances during a three-and-a-half year spell with the Owls.

Whelan departed Hillsborough when he made the move to Stoke City for a fee of £500,000 in January 2008, and after helping the Potters to promotion to the Premier League six months later, he became a crucial part of a side that became firmly established in the top flight, as well as reaching the FA Cup final in 2011 and featuring in the Europa League.

After scoring eight goals and registering 22 assists in 337 appearances at the bet365 Stadium, Whelan joined Aston Villa in the summer of 2017 for a fee of £1.5 million, and he later had stints with Hearts, Fleetwood Town and Bristol Rovers before announcing his retirement in 2023.

Whelan remained at the Memorial Stadium in a coaching role after hanging up his boots before joining the backroom staff of Wigan Athletic in September 2024, and he took interim charge of the Latics on two occasions, overseeing a 4-0 defeat at Arsenal in the fourth round of the FA Cup in his second caretaker spell earlier this year.

The 42-year-old left the Brick Community Stadium in February following the arrival of Gary Caldwell, but after just over three months out of football, he has taken his first steps into full-time management with Scottish side Livingston.

Ex-Stoke City and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Glenn Whelan appointed Livingston head coach

It was a nightmare campaign for Livingston as they were relegated from the Scottish Premiership after winning just two games all season, finishing rock bottom of the table on just 21 points.

Amid Livi's poor form, long-serving manager David Martindale stepped away from the dugout and moved into a sporting director role in early February, with his assistant Marvin Bartley replacing him.

Bartley managed to end Livingston's horror 31-game winless run with a 2-0 victory at St Mirren in April, but that proved to be the only victory of his 11-game tenure, and he resigned from his role earlier this month after the club's relegation was confirmed, with Scott Arfield taking charge for the final three games of the season.

As they prepare for life back in the Scottish Championship, Livi confirmed Whelan as their new head coach on Saturday morning, with Martindale describing the Irishman as "an individual with a real winning mentality" and "an elite mindset", insisting that "his beliefs and values align very well with ours".

Whelan expressed his delight after being given his first opportunity as a permanent manager at The Home of the Set Fare Arena, telling the club's official website: "I’m delighted to have been given this opportunity as Head Coach of Livingston, something I’m incredibly proud of, and I will give my all for the club moving forward.

"I’m eager to grasp this opportunity and help build a successful team that the fans can be truly proud of and get right behind. I’m grateful to the board for their belief in me, and the hard work has already begun.

"I can’t wait to get started and look forward to the journey ahead."

Stoke City and Sheffield Wednesday fans will surely love fresh Glenn Whelan update

Whelan was a popular figure at Stoke and Sheffield Wednesday, so supporters of both clubs will no doubt wish the midfielder well as he begins life in management with Livingston.

It will not be an easy task for Whelan to rebuild Livi, and the Scottish Championship can be an unforgiving league, even for some of the bigger clubs, with Ross County suffering a second consecutive relegation this season after dropping out of the Premiership the previous year.

However, Whelan will have gained vital experience from his spells as a coach at Bristol Rovers and Wigan, and with an experienced operator in Scottish football like Martindale to guide him, he will be confident that he can guide Livingston to promotion in the upcoming campaign.