Mark Warburton facts for kids
Warburton in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 6 September 1962 | ||
| Place of birth | London, England | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Sporting Club Jacksonville | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1977–1979 | Leicester City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1981–1985 | Enfield | 28 | (1) |
| 1985–1988 | Boreham Wood | 107 | (2) |
| Total | 135 | (3) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2013–2015 | Brentford | ||
| 2015–2017 | Rangers | ||
| 2017 | Nottingham Forest | ||
| 2019–2022 | Queens Park Rangers | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Mark Warburton (born 6 September 1962) is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the Sporting Director and Head of Soccer for Sporting Club Jacksonville in the United Soccer League.
As a player, Warburton was a right back for non-League teams like Enfield and Boreham Wood. He started his coaching journey at Watford's academy. Later, he moved to Brentford in 2011, first as a coach and then as a sporting director. In December 2013, he became their manager.
He led Brentford from League One to the Championship in the 2013–14 season. The next season, Brentford had their best second-tier finish in 80 years. From 2015 to 2017, he managed Rangers in Scotland. He won the Scottish Championship title and the Scottish Challenge Cup in his first year there. He then managed Nottingham Forest for nine months in 2017.
Playing Football
Growing up in London, Mark Warburton went to The Latymer School. He played as a defender. He began his playing career as a young player at Leicester City under manager Frank McLintock.
After Leicester, he played for non-League teams like Enfield. He spent four successful years at Enfield. During this time, he helped them win the 1981–82 FA Trophy and the 1982–83 Alliance Premier League title. He scored one league goal for Enfield.
After leaving Enfield in 1985, Warburton played for Isthmian League team Boreham Wood. He also played for a Scottish non-league team and spent time playing in the United States. His playing career ended due to cruciate ligament injuries.
Coaching and Management
Starting as a Coach
Warburton began coaching part-time at St. Clement Danes School. At the same time, he worked as a trader in finance. He decided to leave his trading job in the early 2000s to focus on football. He even spent his own money traveling around Europe to watch coaching sessions at big clubs like Sporting CP, Ajax, and Barcelona.
He was offered a full-time coaching job at Watford. He coached players from U9 to U16 levels. In 2006, he became the manager of Watford's academy. He left Watford in February 2010 to explore other opportunities in sports.
Coaching at Brentford
In February 2011, Nicky Forster became the temporary manager of League One team Brentford. He asked Warburton to be his first-team coach. Warburton had worked with Brentford's owner, Matthew Benham, before.
Warburton helped Forster until the end of the 2010–11 season. After the manager, Uwe Rösler, left in December 2013, Warburton was part of the coaching team.
First-Team Coach at West Ham
On 24 June 2022, West Ham United hired Warburton as a first-team coach. He joined manager David Moyes' coaching staff. He left West Ham in June 2023 because he wanted to find a more senior role in football.
Managerial Career
Brentford Manager
2013–14: Promotion Season
Mark Warburton became the new Brentford manager on 10 December 2013. He signed a contract until the end of the 2013–14 season. His first official match was a 1–0 win against Oldham Athletic.
He quickly made changes, bringing in David Weir as his assistant manager. Brentford went on a great run, winning his first four games. This sent them to the top of League One. He became the first Brentford manager to win his first four matches. This winning streak extended to six games.
Warburton won the League One Manager of the Month award for December 2013. His team continued to play well, and he was nominated for the award again in January 2014. Brentford's first defeat under Warburton came in February, ending a 19-game unbeaten run in the league.
On 18 April, Brentford beat Preston North End 1–0. This win meant Brentford were promoted to the Championship with three games left. They finished as runners-up to Wolverhampton Wanderers. In his 27 games as manager that season, Warburton won 17, drew 6, and lost 4. In June, he signed a new one-year rolling contract with the club.
2014–15: Championship Success
Warburton's first game as a Championship manager was a 1–1 draw against Charlton Athletic in August 2014. Brentford got their first league win of the season later that month, beating Blackpool 2–1.
By September, a 3–2 win over Brighton & Hove Albion put Brentford into the Championship playoff spots. In November, a club record-equalling five straight wins sent Brentford to third place in the league. This was the club's highest position in the league pyramid since the 1952–53 season. This earned Warburton the Championship Manager of the Month award.
In February 2015, it was announced that Warburton and his team would leave Brentford at the end of the season. This was because of differences with owner Matthew Benham's plans for how the club would be run, especially regarding player recruitment using mathematical modelling and statistics.
Despite this news, Brentford's form improved. They won 17 points from a possible 27, including a big 4–1 win over Fulham. Two wins in their final two games helped Brentford finish fifth in the table. This was their highest second-tier finish since the 1934–35 season.
Brentford's season ended with a 5–1 loss to Middlesbrough in the playoff semi-finals. Warburton's time as Brentford manager ended on 30 May. He had 40 wins, 16 draws, and 22 losses, with a winning percentage of over 51%.
Rangers Manager
On 15 June 2015, Warburton became the manager of Scottish Championship club Rangers. He signed a three-year contract, and David Weir joined him again as assistant.
In his first season, he led Rangers to win both the Scottish Championship and the Scottish Challenge Cup. This meant Rangers were promoted to the Scottish Premiership. On 17 April 2016, Rangers beat Celtic 5–4 on penalties in the Scottish Cup Semi-Final. Rangers reached the 2016 Scottish Cup Final, but lost 3–2 to Hibernian.
Warburton and Weir extended their contracts with Rangers in July 2016. However, Rangers fell behind in the 2016–17 Scottish Premiership title race. On 10 February 2017, Warburton, Weir, and Frank McParland left their roles at the club.
Nottingham Forest Manager
On 14 March 2017, Warburton was appointed manager of Championship club Nottingham Forest. He signed a two-and-a-half-year contract, with Weir as his assistant. His first game was a 2–2 draw against Derby County. Warburton was dismissed by Forest on New Year's Eve 2017. At that time, Forest was 14th in the league.
Queens Park Rangers Manager
On 8 May 2019, Warburton became the manager of Queens Park Rangers (QPR) on a two-year contract. He led QPR to a win against Stoke City in his first game. This made him the first QPR manager to win his debut match since 2010. It was announced on 28 April 2022 that Warburton would leave QPR when his contract ended.
Other Roles
Sporting Director
After not getting the Brentford manager job initially, Warburton became the club's Sporting director in 2011. This was a new role created to help restructure the club. His job involved working with player agents, managing club finances, and scouting young players.
Warburton believed that the Sporting Director role could work well in English football. He said that even though he and manager Uwe Rösler had disagreements, they always worked together, and Rösler had the final say on team selection and signings.
In December 2013, Warburton was replaced as Sporting Director by Frank McParland. On March 20, 2025, Sporting Club Jacksonville named Warburton as their Sporting Director and Head of Soccer.
NextGen Series
In 2010, Warburton and sports TV producer Justin Andrews created Cycad Sports Management. Through this company, they launched the NextGen Series. This was a cup competition for Under-19 club teams. Brentford owner Matthew Benham also supported the competition.
The first tournament started in August 2011 with 16 teams, including big European clubs like Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Tottenham Hotspur. The tournament grew to 24 teams in 2012–13. The 2013–14 tournament was cancelled due to a lack of funding and the start of a similar competition, the UEFA Youth League.
Personal Life
While playing for Enfield, Mark Warburton also worked as a trader in London and the United States. He worked as a currency dealer for large banks. He said there were many similarities between trading and football management, such as teamwork, communication, and managing people.
His son, Jack, played youth football for Watford and Leicester City. He later played in Canada. In January 2015, Jack signed a six-month deal with Brentford's Development Squad. He also played for Northern Ireland at the Under-16 and Under-17 levels.
Managerial Statistics
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Brentford | 10 December 2013 | 30 May 2015 | 78 | 40 | 16 | 22 | 51.3 |
| Rangers | 15 June 2015 | 10 February 2017 | 82 | 54 | 15 | 13 | 65.9 |
| Nottingham Forest | 14 March 2017 | 31 December 2017 | 37 | 15 | 3 | 19 | 40.5 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 8 May 2019 | 7 May 2022 | 150 | 56 | 35 | 59 | 37.3 |
| Total | 347 | 165 | 69 | 113 | 47.6 | ||
Honours and Achievements
As a Manager
Brentford
- Football League One runner-up: 2013–14
Rangers
- Scottish Championship: 2015–16
- Scottish Challenge Cup: 2015–16
Individual Awards
- Football League Championship Manager of the Month: November 2014
- Football League One Manager of the Month: December 2013
- PFA Scotland Manager of the Year: 2015–16
- SPFL Manager of the Month (Championship): August 2015, September 2015, January 2016
- EFL Championship Manager of the Month: November 2021
