2000s EFL Icons In Management

2000s EFL Icons In Management

The English Football League (EFL) has consistently played a vital role in driving reinvention. It is where young managers can slip out of the Premier League glare and hone their craft, where raw prospects take their first steps before climbing towards the elite, and where ageing stars go to slow down during the later stages of their career.

And in recent years, a selection of EFL icons have hung up their boots and stepped into technical areas with something to prove.

Between these five EFL legends, they have over 2000 appearances in the Championship, League One, and League Two, multiple promotions, and even a few team of the year inclusions!

Paul Heckingbottom

Starting his playing career at the great Manchester United, Paul Heckinbottom left the European brobdingnagian for Sunderland when he was not offered a professional contract.

As a player, it is fair to say that Heckingbottom bounced around a lot. In his 17 years of professional football, he played for 12 different clubs.

His most successful period would come between 2005-2006, when he achieved two successive promotions with Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley.

As a manager, Heckingbottom has taken over a host of clubs, including Barnsley, Leeds United and Hibernian. His most successful period, though, came at Sheffield United, where he helped guide the Blades to a second-place finish in the Championship.

Heckingbottom would only last a few months in the Premier League, as he was dismissed after a 5-0 loss to Burnley with Sheffield United sitting on just four points after 14 games.

Heckingbottom is now at Preston North End, with the Lillywhites sitting fourth in the Championship table.

Since taking over last season, Paul Heckingbottom has managed 29 home games and has lost just 4.

Has made Deepdale a fortress 👏 pic.twitter.com/XJBmvdhkjl

— Second Tier podcast (@secondtierpod) October 25, 2025

Lee Johnson

A youth player at both Arsenal and Watford, Lee Johnson would never hit the heights of a Premier League playing career, but had a solid career in the lower leagues.

Between 2001 and 2011, he enjoyed his most prolific run, chiefly with Yeovil Town and Bristol City—plus a fleeting four-game spell at Hearts—experiencing three promotions in the process. One from the Conference, League Two, and League One.

As a manager, Johnson has flipped around a myriad of clubs, with his longest spell coming at his former club, Bristol City.

He has never managed to replicate his promotion success from his playing days, but in the 2020/21 season, he won the EFL Trophy with Sunderland.

Johnson is currently managing Belgian second division side Lommel, who currently sit fifth in the table.

🚨 Breaking: Lee Johnson is no longer the manager of Hibernian. pic.twitter.com/JxUxOWCygG

— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) August 27, 2023

Neil Harris

Between 1997 and 2012, Neil Harris only played two seasons outside the second and third divisions of English football.

Harris’ career began at Millwall, where across eight impressive seasons he was part of the side that reached the 2003/04 FA Cup final, losing only to Manchester United.

It would be at Millwall that he would have the most successful season as a player. A striker by trade, in the 2000/01 season, Harris would net 28 goals in 50 games. Following that season, he would only score 10 or more goals in five campaigns.

After his career, Harris returned to Millwall in 2013 as a caretaker manager. A year later, however, he would take the reins at his former club and would spend four seasons in charge.

Since parting ways with the Lions, Harris has taken over Cardiff, Gillingham, Millwall for a third time, and Cambridge United twice.

He is currently enjoying his second spell at Cambridge, with the U’s sitting 12th in League Two.

Absolutely insane year for Neil Harris:

Sacked by L2 Gills with them 8th.
13 lg games with Cambridge in L1, Dec-Feb, probably their best spell of the season (18pts).
Joins Millwall, keeps them up, starts this season well.
3rd most Championship pts since his app't, steps down. https://t.co/BfP31gwPmy pic.twitter.com/kXFak656gP

— Ali Maxwell (@AliMaxwell_) December 10, 2024

Michael Duff

During Michael Duff’s playing career, he played for just two sides: Cheltenham Town and Burnley. Eight seasons in a town that is famous for horse racing, and 12 at Burnley.

He is also the only person on this list to manage any minutes at a Premier League club. He did so in the 2009/10 and 2014/15 seasons for Burnley. In all, he managed 32 games in England’s top division.

As a manager, Duff has never been able to replicate his playing success and manage in the Premier League.

He started back at Cheltenham, where he took charge of over 200 games and helped The Robins win League Two in the 2020/21 season.

But since leaving his former club, Duff has had limited success. He has managed Barnsley, Swansea and Huddersfield, but did not manage more than 60 games at any of them.

He is now the head coach of Wycombe Wanderers, and has won eight of his 12 games, as the Blues sit 13th in League One.

Head Coach Michael Duff looks ahead to Saturday’s game against Port Vale, plus his nomination for October’s Manager of the Month. pic.twitter.com/Obt7pLMaMp

— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) November 13, 2025

Steven Schumacher

Sharing the same last name as legendary F1 driver Michael Schumacher, Steven Schumacher enjoyed a relatively unknown playing career.

As a footballer, Schumacher played for the likes of Crewe Alexandra, Bury, Fleetwood Town and Stevenage, but his most successful period came for Bradford City, where he played 130 games, scoring 15 goals in the process.

After his career ended in 2018, Schumacher took on the role of manager for Plymouth Argyle in 2021. He spent two years there before moving onto Stoke City where he only lasted 32 games.

He is currently at Bolton Wanderers, where he has managed 39 games, achieving a 46.15% win percentage in those games.

Bolton sit fourth in League One.

👏 Congratulations to Steven Schumacher and Amario Cozier-Duberry who have been nominated for League One Manager & Player of the Month for October respectively!

Good luck to you both.#bwfc pic.twitter.com/1UuOpOBgT5

— Bolton Wanderers (@OfficialBWFC) November 13, 2025