The 2026/27 English Football League season is upon us, and teams are gearing up for the new campaign.
There are some big names back in the EFL, with Burnley, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers dropping down from the Premier League. York City and Rochdale have also risen from the National League.
There are also some familiar faces in the dugouts, that football fans will remember — but not realise they are now in management.
Jack Wilshere made his managerial debut last year and is preparing for his first full campaign as Luton Town manager. And he’s joined by a few other former players across the 72 EFL clubs.
We’ve taken a look at some of them.
Aaron Ramsey
- Club: Oxford United
We start with one of Wilshere’s former Arsenal teammates Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman only retired from football in April, though he last played in October 2025 with UNAM being his final club. That actually came after his first foray into management, with Ramsey being caretaker manager of boyhood club Cardiff City for the final three matches of the 2024/25 season.
Ramsey was already at Cardiff as a player at the time, and they did suffer relegation, though that was hardly his fault. Interestingly, Ramsey’s first taste of management came in a draw against Oxford United, who he will manage in 2026/27. The statement on the club’s website hailed Ramsey as “one of the most-exciting emerging British coaches”. Ramsey’s job will be to get Oxford back to the Championship at the first time of asking after their relegation, but it won’t be an easy task in a tough league.
James Morrison
- Club: West Brom
After two spells as caretaker manager, James Morrison finally has the permanent run at West Bromwich Albion. He was actually named permanent manager in April after steering West Brom to safety, having been named cartaker in January. Throughout his career, Morrison was synonymous with West Brom, spending 12 years with the Baggies after joining from Middlesbrough in 2007. He racked up over 300 appearances and was with the club through thick and thin.
Morrison went through the more traditional route to becoming a manager, working with West Brom’s academy in a coaching capacity after retiring. He then stepped up to be a coach for the first-team, while taking on a similar role in Scotland’s national team. In Morrison’s first spell as caretaker manager, West Brom took four points from two games to round off the 2024/25 season. Last season, Morisson won four of his 13 matches as West Brom manager, drawing seven with just two defeats. The Baggies finished the season four points from safety, with a two-point deduction added in late April.
Colin Kazim-Richards
- Club: Crawley Town
Colin Kazim-RIchards is a former Champions League player. He spent time in Arsenal’s academy and played for the likes of Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Oympiacos, Feyenoord, Celtic and Corinthians. He also represented Turkey at national level and played all of their games at Euro 2008. The man did a lot in his playing career and has some stories to tell. Not many people have crossed the Fenerbahce-Galatasaray decide, and even fewer have made the direct switch.
Kazim-Richards returned to Arsenal two years ago as a coach in their academy, cutting his teeth at the lower level. He then became Crawley Town manager in March 2026, taking over the club in their relegation battle. Crawley won two, drew three and lost two of Kazim-Richards’ seven league games in charge, with was enough to keep them one point clear of the relegation zone. As reward for his work, Kazim-Richards was given the permanent job.
Hayden Mullins
- Club: Newport County
Hayden Mullins isn’t a new manager. In fact, it’s been seven years since his first role as a caretaker manager at Watford. But he is back in the senior game after some time out. Mullins was a regular feature for the likes of Crystal Palace, West Ham and Portsmouth through his playing career with ran between 1998 and 2003. He was part of the Portsmouth side to play in the 2010 FA Cup Final, sticking with the club after their relegation.
After two caretaker spells at Watford, Mullins became Colchester United‘s assistant manager in September 2020. By the end of the season he was permanent manager, replacing Steve Ball first as an interim before taking the full-time role. But his spell at Colchester only lasted until the following January, due to poor results. Mullins then spent time in charge of the Turks and Caicos national team, before dropping down a level and managing Fulham‘s Under-21 side. He is now in charge at Newport County in League Two, taking over in the summer.
Alex Bruce
- Club: Rotherham United
Like Mullins, this isn’t Alex Bruce’s first spell as a manager. But he is back in the game after a short time out. Son of Steve Bruce, Alex did not have the playing career that his dad did. But he was a household name for a short period in the Premier League — partly due to his name. Nevertheless, Bruce was still part of the Hull City team to reach the 2014 FA Cup Final and won two promotions to the Premier League with the Tigers.
Bruce followed his dad into coaching, and worked under him at West Brom in 2022. He made the step up in October 2023, becoming manager of Macclesfield Town, but it wasn’t a long stay despite boasting a decent record. Bruce had decided to drop back down to coaching, joining Salford City. But Bruce is now a manager again, taking charge of League Two club Rotherham United in the summer.
Lee Grant
- Club: Walsall
Lee Grant ended his playing career at Manchester United, spending four years with the club and making a handful of cup appearances. It came at the end of a career that saw the goalkeeper represent the likes of Derby County, Burnley and Stoke City. His performances in the 2016/17 season, initially on loan and then permanently, helped the Potters secure a 13th-placed finish in the Premier League. It included a man-of-the-match performance at Old Trafford to secure a point against Man Utd.
Grant made the move into coaching shortly after his retirement in 2022, joining the backroom staff at Ipswich Town. He had his first managerial role last summer, taking charge of Huddersfield Town. It didn’t go as well as he would have hoped, winning 41.67% of his 36 matches before being sacked after seven months. But Grant didn’t have to wait too long for his next job, taking charge of Walsall at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.