How many clubs have had three former players as managers of home international sides at the same time? Three Coventry City former players are currently managing national teams. Lee Carsley is interim boss of England, Craig Bellamy is in charge of Wales and Michael O'Neill is back in charge of Northern Ireland for a second spell.
The three had mixed fortunes as players for the Sky Blues. Birmingham-born Carsley had a stellar career with Derby County and Blackburn Rovers before Gordon Strachan signed him in December 2000 with City struggling at the wrong end of the Premier League. A holding midfielder, Lee played 21 games in that relegation season and another 26 the following season before moving back to the Premiership with Everton. He was a virtual ever present with Everton over the next six years before two seasons at Birmingham City. In 2010 Coventry boss Adie Boothroyd re-signed Lee, now aged 36, and made him captain but a career-ending injury kept his appearances down to 25. He was appointed coach of the under 18 team and after leading them to runners up spot in the Premier Academy League he was promoted to coach of the Development Squad as the first team were relegated to League One. Weeks into the 2012-13 season he and Richard Shaw were appointed caretaker managers after the departure of Andy Thorn. The pair held the fort until Mark Robins was appointed and the following February Lee was sole caretaker manager for five games after Robins left and before Steven Pressley arrived. Carsley moved on soon afterwards and built an impressive career as a coach with Brentford, Sheffield United, Birmingham and the England under 20 and under 21 teams. This culminated in him leading the under 21 national side to the European Championship title last year and earned him the promotion to his current role this summer following Gareth Southgate's departure.
Craig Bellamy was in the same 2000-01 relegation team as Carsley but Sky Blues' fans' memories of the Welsh striker are far less memorable. Signed for £6 million, to replace Robbie Keane, Bellamy scored only eight goals (three of them penalties) in 39 games for the Sky Blues. In his partial defence he was recovering from a cruciate ligament injury and later revealed he never really want to sign for Coventry. Fortunately City were able to sell the volatile striker to Newcastle for £6.5 million. The move suited both parties!
It's hard for most Sky Blue fans to remember Michael O'Neill. Gordon Strachan signed him fron Hibernian in 1996 and he teamed up again with his former Hibs manager Alex Miller, Strachan's number two. A left-winger, O'Neill had had two good seasons at Newcastle in the late 1980s (he scored two goals for the Magpies against City in a 2-2 draw in 1987). Unfortunately he was injured on his Coventry debut and was out for over a year. In March 1998 he went on loan to Aberdeen and Reading after just six appearances for the Sky Blues and that summer moved permanently to Wigan Athletic. A full international with 31 caps, O'Neill ended his playing career with Ayr United in 2004 and after very successful spells managing Brechin City and Shamrock Rovers he was appointed manager of Northern Ireland in 2011 leading his country, against the odds, to the 2016 Euros. He left his position in 2020 a few months after taking the Stoke manager's job but failed to push the Potters above mid-table in three seasons and was sacked in 2022. His previous success at international level convinced Northern Ireland to reappoint him in December 2022 and despite modest resources is doing a fine job.
Michael O'Neill as a CCFC player
Next week I will cover some of the previous Home International managers with Coventry City connections.
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