Kenny Jackett
Encyclopedia
Kenny Jackett is a former Wales international
football
player, who has since moved into management. He is the current manager of Millwall
, the longest serving manager in the Football League Championship
and eleventh longest serving manager in England.
A skilful player, equally at home in defence or midfield, Jackett was capped 31 times for Wales
, for whom he was eligible through his Welsh-born father. He spent his entire playing career at Watford
, before his career was ended by injury. He moved onto the coaching staff, and had a spell as manager in the 1996-97
season. Between 2004 and 2007 he was manager of Swansea City
. He took over as manager of Millwall in November 2007, leading them to two successive League One play-off finals, and eventual promotion to The Championship.
His father Frank
was also a professional footballer.
season. During the 1980s he helped the team to a runners-up spot in Division One, as well as appearing in the 1984 FA Cup Final
. Jackett's playing career was ended prematurely when a serious knee injury forced his retirement in 1990, at the age of 28. Had he not incurred the injury he would have most likely topped Watford's all-time appearance record - currently held by striker Luther Blissett
.
where he had several coaching roles before beginning his management career in June 1996 as head coach with Watford. He succeeded Graham Taylor
, who became Director of Football.
Watford had just been relegated to Division Two
and Jackett was unable to mount a serious promotion challenge. In the 1996-97
season Watford finished 13th - their lowest finish since the 1970s. During the close season he was demoted to assistant manager, with Taylor once again becoming manager. Jackett assisted Taylor in getting Watford promoted two seasons in a row, and helped the club during their 1999-2000 Premier League season, although they were relegated in bottom place.
When Taylor left Watford at the end of the 2000-01
Division One
season, Jackett was released on the instruction of incoming manager Gianluca Vialli
, an unpopular move with many fans of the club. He then joined Ian Holloway
at Queens Park Rangers
as assistant manager and contributed towards their Division Two
promotion campaign.
as manager of Swansea in April 2004 and in his first full season in charge, they were promoted from League Two
, finishing in third place. The club also won the FAW Premier Cup
.
A fine start to the 2005-06
League One
season followed, putting them well on course for a second successive promotion, but Swansea slipped away from the top of the league, ending the season in sixth place and qualifying for the promotion play-offs, which they lost on penalties in the final against Barnsley
. However, he did win the Football League Trophy
, as well as winning the FAW Premier Cup for the second season in a row.
In the 2006-07
season Swansea hovered in and around the top 6 and defeated Premiership team Sheffield United
at Bramall Lane
3-0 in the FA Cup
. However, on 15 February 2007 Swansea parted company with Jackett by mutual consent after almost three years in charge. Although the board had asked him to continue following a slump in form, Jackett felt he "no longer has the 100 per cent support of everybody connected with the club" and therefore decided to leave.
. He was interviewed for the vacant managerial post at League One
club Millwall
, after the sacking of Willie Donachie
, but ruled himself out after an interview. However, on 6 November 2007 he left Manchester City to take up the position.
On 2 October 2008 he was named Football League One Manager of the Month
after guiding Millwall to 5 consecutive wins, against Huddersfield, Hartlepool, Leicester, Cheltenham and Swindon, conceding only two goals. He won the award again in March 2009, the third time he'd won it as Millwall manager.
In the 2008–09
season, Jackett guided Millwall to the 2009 Football League One play-off Final
after successfully beating Leeds United in the Semi-Finals. It was the first time in Millwall's history that they had reached the Final. However, despite leading Scunthorpe United 2-1 at Wembley after a first-half comeback, the Lions ended up losing 3-2 in the last 20 minutes of the game.
In 2009–10
Millwall enjoyed a tremendous second half of the season, challenging promotion favourites Leeds for second spot and automatic promotion. They fell a point short, finishing third, ensuring that Jackett and Millwall returned to the play-off final
, against Swindon Town where a goal from their captain Paul Robinson
secure a 1-0 win and promotion to The Championship; it was the first time in Millwall's history that they had won promotion via the play-offs.
In their first season back in the Championship, Jackett led Millwall to a finish of 9th. Competing up until the penultimate game of the season for a place in the play-offs.
Jackett currently lives in St Albans with his wife Samantha and their two sons, David and Ryan.
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Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player, who has since moved into management. He is the current manager of Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, the longest serving manager in the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
and eleventh longest serving manager in England.
A skilful player, equally at home in defence or midfield, Jackett was capped 31 times for Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
, for whom he was eligible through his Welsh-born father. He spent his entire playing career at Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
, before his career was ended by injury. He moved onto the coaching staff, and had a spell as manager in the 1996-97
1996-97 in English football
The 1996–1997 season was the 117th season of competitive football in England.Arrival into the league and exit out of the league returns in the fourth tier for the first time after its 3 season absence with only 1 relegation spot.- Premier League :...
season. Between 2004 and 2007 he was manager of Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
. He took over as manager of Millwall in November 2007, leading them to two successive League One play-off finals, and eventual promotion to The Championship.
His father Frank
Frank Jackett
Frank Jackett was an English professional footballer who played as a wing half.-Career:Jackett moved from Pontardawe Athletic to Watford, making 14 appearances in the Football League for them between 1949 and 1953...
was also a professional footballer.
Playing career
Jackett broke into the Watford first team at the end of the 1979-801979-80 in English football
The 1979–80 season was the 100th season of competitive football in England.- FA Cup :Second Division West Ham United, managed by John Lyall, won the FA Cup, beating Arsenal 1–0 with a Trevor Brooking goal...
season. During the 1980s he helped the team to a runners-up spot in Division One, as well as appearing in the 1984 FA Cup Final
1984 FA Cup Final
The 1984 FA Cup Final was contested by Everton and Watford at Wembley. Everton won 2–0, with one goal by Graeme Sharp and a particularly memorable goal from Andy Gray. He was adjudged by many to have fouled the Watford goalkeeper Steve Sherwood by heading the ball from Sherwood's hands....
. Jackett's playing career was ended prematurely when a serious knee injury forced his retirement in 1990, at the age of 28. Had he not incurred the injury he would have most likely topped Watford's all-time appearance record - currently held by striker Luther Blissett
Luther Blissett
Luther Loide Blissett is a former professional footballer and manager, who is currently a first-team coach at Hemel Hempstead Town. Blissett played as a striker, and is best known for his time at Watford, whom he helped win promotion from the Fourth Division to the First Division...
.
Watford
On retirement, Jackett stayed at Vicarage RoadVicarage Road
Vicarage Road, a stadium in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, is the home of the football club Watford and their tenants, the Saracens rugby union club. An all-seater stadium, its current capacity is 17,477.-History:...
where he had several coaching roles before beginning his management career in June 1996 as head coach with Watford. He succeeded Graham Taylor
Graham Taylor (football manager)
Graham Taylor OBE is a football pundit, ex-football manager, and a former player. He is best known as the manager of the England national football team, as well as being manager of Watford, a club he took from the Fourth Division to the First in the space of five years, then from bottom of the...
, who became Director of Football.
Watford had just been relegated to Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
and Jackett was unable to mount a serious promotion challenge. In the 1996-97
1996-97 in English football
The 1996–1997 season was the 117th season of competitive football in England.Arrival into the league and exit out of the league returns in the fourth tier for the first time after its 3 season absence with only 1 relegation spot.- Premier League :...
season Watford finished 13th - their lowest finish since the 1970s. During the close season he was demoted to assistant manager, with Taylor once again becoming manager. Jackett assisted Taylor in getting Watford promoted two seasons in a row, and helped the club during their 1999-2000 Premier League season, although they were relegated in bottom place.
When Taylor left Watford at the end of the 2000-01
2000-01 in English football
The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
season, Jackett was released on the instruction of incoming manager Gianluca Vialli
Gianluca Vialli
Gianluca Vialli is an Italian football manager and former player. Since retiring, he has gone into management and punditry and is a commentator for Sky Sport Italia....
, an unpopular move with many fans of the club. He then joined Ian Holloway
Ian Holloway
Ian Scott Holloway is an English football manager and former player. He became the manager of Blackpool in May 2009. Holloway is well-known amongst football fans for his off-the-wall interviews, with a wide selection of quotes and soundbites being printed. Holloway's playing career spanned 18...
at Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
as assistant manager and contributed towards their Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
promotion campaign.
Swansea City
After 3 years as an assistant Jackett left QPR to replace Brian FlynnBrian Flynn
Brian Flynn, is a Welsh football manager and former Welsh international player.On 13 September 2010 Flynn was confirmed caretaker manager of the Wales national football team after John Toshack stepped down...
as manager of Swansea in April 2004 and in his first full season in charge, they were promoted from League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
, finishing in third place. The club also won the FAW Premier Cup
FAW Premier Cup
The FAW Premier Cup is a defunct Welsh football cup competition, organised annually by the Football Association of Wales from 1997 to 2008...
.
A fine start to the 2005-06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
season followed, putting them well on course for a second successive promotion, but Swansea slipped away from the top of the league, ending the season in sixth place and qualifying for the promotion play-offs, which they lost on penalties in the final against Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
. However, he did win the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
, as well as winning the FAW Premier Cup for the second season in a row.
In the 2006-07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
season Swansea hovered in and around the top 6 and defeated Premiership team Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
3-0 in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
. However, on 15 February 2007 Swansea parted company with Jackett by mutual consent after almost three years in charge. Although the board had asked him to continue following a slump in form, Jackett felt he "no longer has the 100 per cent support of everybody connected with the club" and therefore decided to leave.
Millwall
On 7 March 2007 Jackett was appointed reserve team manager of Manchester CityManchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
. He was interviewed for the vacant managerial post at League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
club Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
, after the sacking of Willie Donachie
Willie Donachie
William Donachie is a Scottish former professional footballer. He won 35 full caps for Scotland, playing in the 1978 World Cup.-Career:...
, but ruled himself out after an interview. However, on 6 November 2007 he left Manchester City to take up the position.
On 2 October 2008 he was named Football League One Manager of the Month
Football League One Manager of the Month
The Manager of the Month is an association football award that recognises the manager adjudged best for each month of the season in the Football League One, the third tier of English football. The recipient is chosen by a panel assembled by the League's sponsor and announced alongside The...
after guiding Millwall to 5 consecutive wins, against Huddersfield, Hartlepool, Leicester, Cheltenham and Swindon, conceding only two goals. He won the award again in March 2009, the third time he'd won it as Millwall manager.
In the 2008–09
2008–09 in English football
The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...
season, Jackett guided Millwall to the 2009 Football League One play-off Final
2009 Football League One play-off Final
The 2009 Football League One play-off Final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium on 24 May 2009, at the end of the 2008–09 season. The match determined the third and final team to gain promotion from League One to the Championship, and was contested by Millwall, who finished fifth during...
after successfully beating Leeds United in the Semi-Finals. It was the first time in Millwall's history that they had reached the Final. However, despite leading Scunthorpe United 2-1 at Wembley after a first-half comeback, the Lions ended up losing 3-2 in the last 20 minutes of the game.
In 2009–10
2009–10 in English football
The 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League...
Millwall enjoyed a tremendous second half of the season, challenging promotion favourites Leeds for second spot and automatic promotion. They fell a point short, finishing third, ensuring that Jackett and Millwall returned to the play-off final
2010 Football League One play-off Final
-Second leg:Charlton Athletic 3–3 Swindon Town on aggregate. Swindon Town won 5–4 on penalties.----Millwall 2–0 Huddersfield Town on aggregate.-Match details:Match rules:*90 minutes of normal time....
, against Swindon Town where a goal from their captain Paul Robinson
Paul Robinson (footballer born 1982)
Paul Robinson is an English professional footballer. He currently plays as a defender for Millwall.Robinson began his career as a trainee with Millwall, turning professional in August 2001. Later that month he joined Fisher Athletic on loan to gain some first team experience...
secure a 1-0 win and promotion to The Championship; it was the first time in Millwall's history that they had won promotion via the play-offs.
In their first season back in the Championship, Jackett led Millwall to a finish of 9th. Competing up until the penultimate game of the season for a place in the play-offs.
Jackett currently lives in St Albans with his wife Samantha and their two sons, David and Ryan.
National team statistics
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Managerial stats
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Watford Watford F.C. Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade... |
 |
10 June 1996 | 2 June 1997 |
|||||
| Swansea City Swansea City A.F.C. Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position... |
 |
5 April 2004 | 15 February 2007 |
|||||
| Millwall Millwall F.C. Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the... |
|
6 November 2007 | Present |
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| Total |
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External links
- Kenny Jackett tribute on Blind, Stupid and Desperate (Watford F.C. fan site)