After Sunderland took a look at Will Still following their parting of ways with Tony Mowbray, the manager’s already growing reputation in football took a bit of an upturn.
His recent interview with The Athletic certainly caused a few stirs in both France and England, as the 31-year-old made it clear he sees a move back to his home country as the next step in his career.
Whether moving to a club in the Premier League would be possible at this stage remains to be seen, but, speaking to L’Equipe, an agent ‘well established’ in the United Kingdom sees a move to a club like a Sunderland as far more realistic.
He said: “Premier League clubs are now a bit more reticent to hire young unexperienced managers, as brilliant as they may be. For now, logic dictates that he signs in a Championship club first to prove himself.”
With Micheal Beale lasting just 12 games in charge of Sunderland, the Black Cats have decided to finish the season with Mike Dodds as interim until the end of the season.
What happens after that at the Stadium of Light remains a mystery, but with Still wanting to move back to England and available for around €5m, perhaps this could be the ideal time for him to make the switch.
Either way, those around him are trying to grow his image in England, with someone close to him admitting as much to L’Equipe.
They said: “We tried to evolve the media narrative, so that Will isn’t caricatured like a geek who became a manager by chance.”
This explains the recent interviews in the British media, and certainly does suggest a clear angling towards a move to these shores in the very near future.
