Mark Warburton

Mark Warburton (born 6 September 1962) is an English professional football manager and former player who is currently the Sporting Director and Head of Soccer for Sporting Club Jacksonville of the United Soccer League.

As a player, Warburton was a right back at non-League level with Enfield and Boreham Wood. He began his coaching career in the academy at Watford, before moving to Brentford in February 2011, serving as a coach and sporting director until being appointed manager in December 2013. He led the club from League One to promotion to the Championship in the 2013–14 season and finished the following season with the club's best second-tier placing for 80 years. He managed Rangers in Scotland from 2015 to 2017, winning the Scottish Championship title and the Scottish Challenge Cup in his first season. He joined Nottingham Forest in March 2017, but was dismissed after nine months.

Growing up in London, Warburton attended The Latymer School, Edmonton. A defender, Warburton began his playing career as an apprentice at Leicester City under Frank McLintock and later dropped into Non-League football with Enfield. Warburton took a dislike to the methods of McLintock's successor at Leicester, Jock Wallace, later saying "he was a Marine. We had runs on sand-dunes, running until we threw up. I learned a lot from that, never treating a player that way".

Warburton had a successful four years at Enfield, winning the 1981–82 FA Trophy and 1982–83 Alliance Premier League title. He battled for the right back spot at the club with Trevor Savage and scored his only league goal for the club past Boston United goalkeeper Kevin Blackwell in a 2–0 win during the 1982–83 season. After leaving Enfield in 1985, Warburton later played for Isthmian League side Boreham Wood, Scottish non-league side Stoneyburn Juniors and also spent time playing in Charlotte and Chicago men's leagues while living in the United States. Cruciate injuries ended his playing career.

Warburton began his coaching career in a part-time role at St. Clement Danes School in Chorleywood while working as a trader. He later said to his wife, "we have the money in the bank, the house is paid for, our lifestyle won't change. I want to do this: 10 years to achieve something in the game. It's now or never". After leaving his trading job in the early 2000s, he spent his own money travelling around Europe, watching coaching sessions at Sporting CP, Ajax, Valencia, Barcelona and Willem II.

Warburton was offered a permanent coaching job with Watford, at U9 through to U16 level and was appointed manager of the academy in 2006. After a reshuffle in 2009, he became assistant academy manager for U17 to U19 age groups. While at Watford, he established links with Harefield Academy. Warburton left Watford in February 2010 to "pursue other sporting interests". Warburton later said in 2014 that he left Watford because he "had a fall out with one or two people. I was treated very shabbily, but they have gone now, so I've got no grudges against the club".

Nicky Forster was appointed caretaker manager of League One side Brentford in February 2011 and named Warburton as first team coach. Warburton had previously worked with Brentford owner Matthew Benham on the NextGen Series and explained that he "got a call from the owner at 1:30 in the morning, asking if I would come in to assist Nicky. I didn't know a lot about Brentford or know any of the players, so I stayed up for the rest of the night looking at player profiles". Following a successful interim period, Forster was given the role on a permanent basis until the end of the 2010–11 season. Warburton assisted Forster until the end of the season. After the departure of Rösler to Championship side Wigan Athletic on 7 December 2013, assistant manager Alan Kernaghan took charge of the team for that day's 3–2 FA Cup second round defeat away to Carlisle United. Warburton was included as part of the coaching team, alongside first team coach Peter Farrell.

On 24 June 2022, West Ham United appointed Warburton as a first-team coach, becoming part of manager David Moyes' backroom staff. He left the club in June 2023 wishing to seek out a more senior role in football.