Ex-Premier League star lifts lid on management and learning from ex-Man Utd icon
For Stephen Clemence, it's always been a matter of when, not if, he would turn his hand to being a No.1.
After clocking up over 200 Premier League games during a distinguished playing career, Clemence was nudged into the world of coaching whilst still coming to terms with the injury which curtailed his time on the pitch.
From there, Clemence, 45, formed a partnership with Steve Bruce: his former Birmingham City manager. Clemence coached under Bruce at the Blues, Sunderland, Aston Villa, Newcastle and West Brom before deciding the time was right to branch out on his own. Fittingly, his first opportunity as a head coach has come at Gillingham - the same place Bruce started his playing career.
"I've worked with him for 13 years and he was really excited when he found out I was having an interview," Clemence tells Mirror Football. "I've heard many a story about Gillingham over the years and I remember coming back from away trips on the coach with him going, 'Oh, Gillingham have won today'."
Clemence is on his own now but still speaks to Bruce "all the time". His loyalty to a mentor who has become a close friend over the years has been unwavering. There were opportunities to branch out before now, he admits.
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After taking a year out to reflect and develop following the end of Bruce's premiership at West Brom, this season was the right time for Clemence to cut his own managerial teeth. And after years of watching Bruce become immersed in a job that is unlike any other, Clemence is now the one shouldering those responsibilities.
He adds: "I wanted to make sure I was ready because when you stand in front of those players, you need to make sure you're confident and that you know what you're talking about. I've been in it all my life. But no coaching course can prepare you for being the No.1 at a football club.
"It is 24 hours a day and you're always thinking about the next decision you have to make. You're making sure everybody is okay - not just as football players but as people. It's important to look after people.
"There's a lot that goes on and it does consume you. I'm not giving my family the time I normally do, which I'm not completely comfortable with. But they totally understand and are fully supportive of me. I'm enjoying it; this is what I've wanted for a while."
Clemence spent 13 years coaching alongside Steve Bruce before branching out on his own (Adam Fradgley/West Bromwich Albion)Clemence is part of the new breed of coaches who have taken the Football League by storm over the past 18 months. The transformative effect that Kieran McKenna has had at Ipswich Town has cascaded down the leagues; clubs are more receptive than ever to giving progressive young coaches the chance to follow in McKenna's footsteps instead of turning to the usual suspects.
Clemence's route into coaching was different given his time on the pitch was cut short by circumstances beyond his control at the age of 31. He was, in his own words, still "engulfed" with the manner in which his career ended. Not being able to bow out on his own terms still rankles.
He was encouraged to start his coaching badges by former team-mate Jamie Clapham at a time when he was struggling. He explains: "I was a little bit reluctant but I went and that's when it all started for me."
After spells coaching at numerous top clubs, Clemence has joined a club in Gillingham who have far grander aspirations than their current standing in the football pyramid. The Kent-based outfit were relegated into League Two in 2022 and endured another challenging campaign last year but are rebuilding the English football's basement division.
The presence of Brad Galinson, who purchased the club from Paul Scally a year ago, and his family have galvanised a fanbase starved of success. The decision to part company with former Millwall and Cardiff City manager Neil Harris in October came as a surprise given the Gills were within touching distance of the League Two summit, but the underlying statistics made for grim reading.
Galinson cited a desire “to go in a different direction” as the reasoning behind Harris' departure. Clemence has been given a remit to alter Gillingham's identity, but the timing of his arrival and the club's promotion ambitions mean it will be a case of evolution rather than revolution in Kent.
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"I think when you come into a football club mid-season, you've probably got to design a system around the players you've got in order to win football matches as quickly as possible. That's what we've looked at.
"I want to be playing football on the front foot, getting after teams high up the pitch, creating plenty of chances and making sure the supporters enjoy it. But what I do know is that League Two has lots of different styles and not every game is going to look like that.
"We have to respect who the opposition are and design game-plans for each match. Lots of managers have gone in mid-season and get that bounce - that's the intention here too."
Results have been positive for Clemence, who went through three interviews before landing the job. He's won four of his seven games since taking the reins, including a statement 2-0 win over local rivals Charlton in The FA Cup. Their reward for beating the League One outfit is a plum home tie against Premier League strugglers Sheffield United in the third round. His first home league game, a 3-1 win against Salford, marked the first occasion that the Gills have scored three goals in a home game for over two-and-a-half years.
Brad Galinson completed a takeover at Gillingham last year (Alex Pantling)The Gills boast a squad brimming with players capable of playing at a higher level as a result of Galinson's investment in the playing team over the past 12 months. Joint top-scorers Macauley Bonne and Connor Mahoney were playing at the top end of League One and the Championship respectively last year. Full-back Scott Malone is a seasoned Championship performer with over 200 second-tier matches to his name.
Promotion remains the aim but the club have grander aspirations than that in the long-term. Galinson has regularly referred to Gillingham as a "sleeping giant" since acquiring the club. Clemence is measured but admits he wouldn't have taken on the role had he not been confident of success.
"When the Gillingham job came up, it was one I really wanted to pursue. I put in a huge amount of effort on the job before I got interviewed and showed the board what my plans were and how I could help the team.
"After speaking with Brad I really felt the club was moving in the right direction.
"Any role that I was going to step into had to be one where I felt I'd have a chance of being successful. Looking at Gillingham from the outside, I felt there was that chance. It's going to take time but we can get there. Hopefully we can create some nice memories for supporters on the way."
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