Predicting 10 EFL Championship players right now who will become managers | OneFootball

FLW takes a look at some of the Championship's current players who could become managers in the future

A fair portion of the EFL Championship’s current crop of managers operated out of the division during their playing days.

The unique challenges that second-tier football presents can allow up-and-coming coaches to forge key attributes that serve them well throughout their second careers.

On that topic, and with an eye to the future, Football League World have identified 10 current Championship players who could become managers in the future.

Luke Ayling

Luke Ayling has an overwhelming amount of EFL experience, playing over 450 times across the Championship and League One with sides such as Leeds United, Middlesbrough, Bristol City and Yeovil Town.

The 34-year-old has worked under a vast range of managers, such as Marcelo Bielsa and Daniel Farke, which will have provided him with great insight into how top-level coaches operate.

Ayling has captained Leeds and Boro on multiple occasions, highlighting his leadership skills. When taken together with everything else, the full-back certainly has great potential to coach in the future.

Ben Pearson

Ben Pearson has the underlying hunger and desire to win football matches, which is crucial to being a successful manager, with this attitude towards the game naturally spreading into the rest of the squad.

During his time in Manchester United’s academy system, he would’ve seen Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes and Louis van Gaal coach from afar, before working directly with bosses such as Alex Neil and Mark Robins whilst with Preston North End and Stoke City.

Given his intimidating presence and determined mentality, it would be no surprise to see Pearson leading a dressing room as manager in the years to come.

Matt Grimes

The traits that make a good captain can often translate to becoming a solid manager, which is why Matt Grimes has to be on this list.

Having captained both Swansea City and now Coventry City, the 30-year-old has experience of leading two competitive Championship dressing rooms, which will serve him well when taking charge of another as a manager in years to come.

Grimes has also regularly shown to be a player who understands the game and controls proceedings, which would benefit him from a tactical point of view.

Barry Bannan

Barry Bannan has proven throughout his career that he has the ability to unify a dressing room and bring out the best in those around him, which is key for any manager within the game.

The Scotsman conducts play whilst on the pitch, so it would be no surprise to see him do the same from the dugout in years to come.

His loyalty to Sheffield Wednesday amid their recent woes shows that he will stick by clubs during tough times, which would also make him an attractive option for owners to hire in the future.

Ashley Young

Ashley Young may not spring to mind when you think of a traditional football manager, but he has all the credentials to become a successful coach in the future.

Footballers don’t continue playing at a high level until 40 years of age unless they possess large amounts of talent, vast leadership skills and the ability to fit into multiple dressing rooms.

Young has all of this in abundance, which puts him in good standing to coach in the future. Furthermore, he has worked under pioneers of the game such as Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, which will have given the Ipswich Town man great insight into how to lead a club at the elite level.

Ben Gibson

Ben Gibson’s vast experience from the top-flight to the National League gives him a broad understanding of the game, which would be crucial when managing different situations from the dugout.

The defender’s leadership skills have seen him captain sides such as Stoke City and Middlesbrough, which highlights his ability to lead a dressing room and also help bond a group off the pitch, which can be an equally important trait.

Moussa Sissoko

Moussa Sissoko has played in a Champions League final, the European Championships and the Premier League for multiple years, which gives him the elite experience needed to coach at the top level.

Having worked under bosses such as Jose Mourinho, Rafa Benitez and Didier Deschamps, Sissoko will be well aware of the tactical prowess and leadership skills needed to become a successful manager.

The 36-year-old’s passion towards football would be another driving force behind his ability to coach, with Sissoko still finding the urge to play regular Championship football after such an illustrious career.

Dara O’Shea

Dara O’Shea has displayed brilliant positional and communicative abilities during his time with West Bromwich Albion, Burnley, Ipswich Town and the Republic of Ireland, which both translate perfectly into management.

The 26-year-old has taken on captaincy roles at a relatively young age, which highlights that the thought of being in charge of a dressing room doesn’t faze him.

O’Shea has dealt with the major blow of relegation on multiple occasions already in his career, but has bounced back each time. This mentality is exactly what is required to be a coach, given how quickly clubs discard their leaders these days.

Harry Winks

Much like Sissoko, Winks has competed at the elite level, so he has great insight into what is required of top managers.

The midfielder’s understanding of the game is evident, as he enjoys the ability of being able to dictate play from the middle of the park purely due to his reading of proceedings.

Having captained Tottenham Hotspur on occasion, Winks has proven that he can lead teams forward on the highest stage, which puts him in good standing to do the same from the dugout.

Jason Knight

At just 24 years of age, Jason Knight has already emerged as an unbelievable leader of men, captaining the Robins for two seasons now.

His ability to galvanise a group is clear, with City boss Gerhard Struber already going on record to state how impressed he is with the midfielder.

After another decade of experience, Knight could be in a position to launch an extremely successful coaching career, after already showing he has the correct mentality to do so at such a tender age.