This year, Stade de Reims have surprised everyone with their decision to let Will Still be their manager.
The reason for that is that he doesn’t have all the required licences to be a manager at the top level of French football, and that is costing them €25k in fines for every game the Englishman is in the dugout for.
However, when it comes to his inspirations, few would have expected him to name the current Newcastle United and Burnley managers among the list of those he looks up to.
Well, considering his time in Belgium as an assistant, the inclusion of Vincent Kompany might not be as surprising as that of Eddie Howe, although there is no denying the work both are putting in at their current clubs.
The Burnley manager has taken the Clarets to the top of the Championship and look well on their way to getting promotion back to the Premier League.
Speaking to Free in France, relayed by Walfoot, the Reims manager was asked who his inspirations were.
He replied: “Jürgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Vincent Kompany, who is doing an extraordinary job at Burnley. Eddie Howe at Newcastle… But I will never be able to compare myself to all those guys, because they’re in another universe compared to me.”
Who knows? A few more years of good work, and perhaps his licences, and Will Still could perhaps find himself going head to head with the Newcastle and Burnley managers in the Premier League.
After all, he’s already gotten this far…
