The longest-serving managers in English football: Arteta rises; Guardiola quits; Slot sack | OneFootball

The end of the 2025/26 season has seen a lot of managerial changes across England’s top-four divisions – but who remain as the longest-serving bosses?

Pep Guardiola, Marco Silva and Oliver Glasner have all left their roles, while Arne Slot was sacked by Liverpool after a disappointing second season at the club.

We’ve taken a look at every Premier League and English Football League manager and ranked them by how long they’ve been in charge of their club.

Note: Manchester City, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Watford, Blackburn Rovers, Stockport County, Salford City and Rotherham United are all currently without a manager.

83. Xabi Alonso, Chelsea – Appointed: July 1st 2026

Chelsea had a turbulent 2025/26 season that saw multiple managerial changes, with Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior both sacked by the club.

They finished the campaign with Calum McFarlane as the interim manager, and have since confirmed that Xabi Alonso has penned a four‑year contract at Stamford Bridge.

“Chelsea is one of the biggest clubs in world football and it fills me with immense pride to become manager of this great club,” he said.

“From my conversations with the ownership group and sporting leadership, it is clear we share the same ambition. We want to build a team capable of competing consistently at the highest level and fighting for trophies.

– Andoni Iraola, Liverpool – Appointed: June 4th 2026

– Marco Rose, Bournemouth – Appointed: June 1st 2026

– Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw, Lincoln City – Appointed: May 29th 2026

– Michael Skubala, Bristol City – Appointed: May 29th 2026

– Martin Drury, Huddersfield Town – Appointed: May 27th 2026

– Darrell Clarke, Tranmere Rovers – Appointed: May 26th 2026

– Chris Hogg, Northampton Town – Appointed: May 18th 2026

– Lee Grant, Walsall – Appointed: May 14th 2026

– Daniel Stendel, Barnsley – Appointed: May 12th 2026

– Mike Jackson, Burnley – Appointed: April 30th 2026

– Roberto De Zerbi, Tottenham – Appointed: March 31st 2026

70. Colin Kazim-Richards, Crawley Town – Appointed: March 24th 2026

– Matt Taylor, Exeter City – Appointed: March 3rd 2026

– James Morrison, West Brom – Appointed: February 24th 2026

– Gary Rowett, Leicester City – Appointed: February 18th 2026

– Gary Caldwell, Wigan Athletic – Appointed: February 16th 2026

– Vitor Pereira, Nottingham Forest – Appointed: February 15th 2026

– Gavin Cowan, Shrewsbury Town – Appointed: January 29th 2026

– Matt Lawlor, Fleetwood Town – Appointed: January 26th 2026

– Michael Carrick, Manchester United – Appointed: January 13th 2026

Following the decision to sack Ruben Amorim in January 2026, Manchester United appointed Carrick as their interim manager.

He made an immediate impact and delivered Champions League qualification with an impressive run of form, winning 12 of his 17 Premier League matches.

The former midfielder has now been rewarded with a two-year contract to continue in the role at Old Trafford.

– Matt Bloomfield, Oxford United – Appointed: January 9th 2026

60. Jon Brady, Port Vale – Appointed: January 6th 2026

– Steve Evans, Bristol Rovers – Appointed: December 16th 2025

– Kim Hellberg, Middlesbrough – Appointed: November 27th 2025

– Vitor Matos, Swansea City – Appointed: November 24th 2025

– Christian Fuchs, Newport County – Appointed: November 20th 2025

– Philippe Clement, Norwich City – Appointed: November 18th 2025

– Rob Edwards, Wolves – Appointed: November 12th 2025

– Tonda Eckert, Southampton – Appointed: November 2nd 2025

– Luke Williams, Peterborough United – Appointed: October 29th 2025

– Leam Richardson, Reading – Appointed: October 28th 2025

50. Ian Evatt, Blackpool – Appointed: October 21st 2025

Jack Wilshere, Luton Town – Appointed: October 13th 2025

– Steve Cotterill, Cheltenham Town – Appointed: September 30th 2025

– Nuno Espirito Santo, West Ham United – Appointed: September 27th 2025

– Michael Duff, Wycombe Wanderers – Appointed: September 18th 2025

– Chris Wilder, Sheffield United – Appointed: September 15th 2025

After losing the 2024/25 Championship play-off final, Wilder left Sheffield United by mutual consent and was replaced in the dugout by Ruben Selles.

But Selles was sacked after losing his first six games in charge and Wilder returned for his third spell as manager of the Blades.

– Stuart Maynard, York City – Appointed: August 28th 2025

– Henrik Pedersen, Sheffield Wednesday – Appointed: July 31st 2025

– Keith Andrews, Brentford – Appointed: June 27th 2025

– Julien Stephan, Queens Park Rangers – Appointed: June 25th 2025

– Martin Paterson, Notts County – Appointed: June 22nd 2025

– Brian Barry-Murphy, Cardiff City – Appointed: June 16th 2025

40. Tom Cleverley, Watford – Appointed: June 13th 2025

– Sergej Jakirovic, Hull City – Appointed: June 11th 2025

– Paul Warne, MK Dons – Appointed: April 15th 2025

– Gareth Ainsworth, Gillingham – Appointed: March 25th 2025

– Neil Harris, Cambridge United – Appointed: February 19th 2025

– John Eustace, Derby County – Appointed: February 13th 2025

– Steven Schumacher, Bolton Wanderers – Appointed: January 30th 2025

– David Moyes, Everton – Appointed: January 11th 2025

– Mark Robins, Stoke City – Appointed: January 1st 2025 

– Alex Neil, Millwall – Appointed: December 30th 2024

30. Gary Bowyer, Burton Albion – Appointed: December 17th 2024

– Frank Lampard, Coventry City – Appointed: November 28th 2024

Lampard took over at Coventry City in November 2024 and succeeded the long-serving Mark Robins, who was sacked after seven and a half years in charge.

The 47-year-old won the Championship in his first full season in charge and led the club to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years.

– Ian Holloway, Swindon Town – Appointed: October 25th 2024

– Paul Heckingbottom, Preston North End – Appointed: August 20th 2024

– Fabian Hurzeler, Brighton & Hove Albion – Appointed: July 2nd 2024

– Regis Le Bris, Sunderland – Appointed: July 1st 2024

– Chris Davies, Birmingham City – Appointed: June 6th 2024

– Alex Revell, Stevenage – Appointed: April 17th 2024

– John Doolan, Accrington Stanley – Appointed: March 4th 2024

– Nathan Jones, Charlton Athletic – Appointed: February 4th 2024

20. Danny Cowley, Colchester United – Appointed: January 4th 2024

– David Artell, Grimsby Town – Appointed: November 27th 2023

– Graham Alexander, Bradford City – Appointed: November 6th 2023

– Micky Mellon, Oldham Athletic – Appointed: October 13th 2023

– Daniel Farke, Leeds United – Appointed: July 4th 2023

– Jimmy McNulty, Rochdale – Appointed: May 12th 2023

– Grant McCann, Doncaster Rovers – Appointed: May 12th 2023

– John Mousinho, Portsmouth – Appointed: January 20th 2023

– Lee Bell, Crewe Alexandra – Appointed: November 4th 2022

– Unai Emery, Aston Villa – Appointed: October 24th 2022

After making a poor start to the 2022/23 season, Aston Villa sacked Steven Gerrard and paid a £5.2million fee to hire Emery from Villarreal.

The Spaniard has been worth every penny, as he has transformed the club’s fortunes and won the 2025/26 Europa League to end a 30-year trophy drought.

10. Johnnie Jackson, AFC Wimbledon – Appointed: May 16th 2022

– Richie Wellens, Leyton Orient – Appointed: March 9th 2022

– Paul Cook, Chesterfield – Appointed: February 10th 2022

– Kieran McKenna, Ipswich Town – Appointed: December 16th 2021

– Eddie Howe, Newcastle United – Appointed: November 8th 2021

– Dean Brennan, Barnet – Appointed: September 20th 2021

– Phil Parkinson, Wrexham – Appointed: July 1st 2021

– Andy Woodman, Bromley – Appointed: March 29th 2021

– Nigel Clough, Mansfield Town – Appointed: November 6th 2020

– Mikel Arteta, Arsenal – Appointed: December 22nd 2019

Following Pep Guardiola’s decision to bring his 10-year stay at Manchester City to an end, Mikel Arteta is now the longest-serving manager in English football’s top-four divisions.

Arteta replaced Unai Emery at Arsenal and has since overseen an incredible rebuild, culminating in a Premier League title-winning season in 2025/26.

His current deal at the Emirates is due to expire at the end of next season, but the 44-year-old is expected to sign a contract extension.

“Keeping Mikel around is [an] utmost priority,” Arsenal co-chair Josh Kroenke said. “I think the good news for Arsenal fans worldwide is he’s enjoying the project, he’s enjoying being here and, from his time as a player all the way up until now, he’s an Arsenal man through and through.”