Many Sheffield Wednesday players of the past have gone on to forge successful careers as managers, but one iconic Owls player has now taken up an incredibly tough job.
Often, with professional footballers, it can be hard to tell who will go on to become an effective manager. Usually, being a great player rarely translates to being a good coach.
Sheffield Wednesday have produced some top managers over the years, like the legendary Derek Dooley and Nigel Pearson.
Among the plethora of managers working in the game today, there are a few former Owls stars plying their trade in the coaching side of things, and one of the most popular figures from the club’s recent history has now bagged himself a new job.
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Graham Coughlan takes charge at Boston United
Graham Coughlan, who was a part of the Sheffield Wednesday squad between 2005 to 2007, has now taken on the top job at Boston United.
The club shared the news on Twitter/X, welcoming the 50-year-old to the National League side as their new first-team manager, replacing Ian Culverhouse who was sacked at the end of October.
Boston are currently sitting in 23rd place in the National League, after picking up just 11 points from 18 games, winning just twice this season.
There is still a long way to go this term, of course, but Coughlan will have to get the team settled, playing how he wants them to, and improve morale quickly if he wants to steer Boston to safety.
Graham Coughlan is a fan favourite at Sheffield Wednesday
Coughlan made 51 appearances for the Owls in his two years at the club, scoring five goals in total. The combative centre-half was hugely popular at Hillsborough thanks to his aggressive and passionate displays.
He was named captain in his first year at the club, replacing Sheffield Wednesday legend Lee Bullen. Coughlan made such an impact in that debut season, in fact, that he was crowned the club’s Player of the Year for the 2005/06 season.
However, after the change of managers at Wednesday — Brian Laws replaced Paul Sturrock — Coughlan found himself falling down the pecking order, and was told he had no future at the club.
He was released in the summer of 2007 and joined Rotherham United. Coughlan later played for Shrewsbury Town and Southend United before retiring in 2013.