Gary Patrick Waddock (born 17 March 1962) is a former professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

. He is assistant head coach at

Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located ...

. A

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

, he spent most of his career playing for

Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...

and

Luton Town Luton Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club from Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The club currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "The Hatters", L ...

. He also had stints at Belgian club

Charleroi Charleroi (, , ; ) is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It is the largest city in both Hainaut and Wallonia. The city is situated in the valley of the Sambre, in the south-west of Belgium, not ...

and at

Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Poplar, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east of ...

Swindon Town Swindon Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The team, known as the "Robins", currently compete in , the fourth level of the English football league system. Founded as Swindon A ...

and

Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers FC is a men's professional football club in Bristol. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club is affiliated to Bristol Rovers W.F.C., whose team play in the FA Women's National Leag ...

. Born in England, he represented the Republic of Ireland internationally at youth and senior levels, making 21 appearances and scoring 3 goals for the Republic of Ireland senior national team. Having retired from playing in 1998, Waddock went into management, taking over former club Queens Park Rangers in 2006. He went on to manage

Aldershot Town Aldershot Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Aldershot, Hampshire, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system. The club was founded in the spr ...

Wycombe Wanderers Wycombe Wanderers Football Club () is a professional association football club based in the town of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third level of the English football league system. Founded in 188 ...

and

Oxford United Oxford United Football Club () is a professional association football, football club based in Oxford, England. The club compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football league system, English football. Founded as Headingto ...

. He has worked at

MK Dons Milton Keynes Dons Football Club, usually abbreviated to MK Dons, is a professional association football club based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the English football leag ...

as head of coaching and

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

as assistant and caretaker manager. His most recent appointment was the assistant manager at

Cambridge United Cambridge United Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Cambridge, England. They currently compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Nicknamed the U’s, the club h ...

Playing career

During his playing career, he appeared professionally (predominantly as a

) for six different

clubs Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Club (magazine), ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands a ...

. He earned 21 international

caps Caps are flat headgear. Caps or CAPS may also refer to: Science and technology Computing * CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters * Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Java ...

for the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...

, scoring three goals in the process. Waddock was named by

Jack Charlton John Charlton (8 May 193510 July 2020) was an English professional Association football, footballer and Manager (association football), manager who played as a Defender (association football), centre-back for Leeds. He was part of the England ...

in the squad for the

1990 FIFA World Cup The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial Association football, football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event for a second ...

, but having travelled to the pre-tournament camp in Malta, he was dropped at the last minute in favour of Alan McLoughlin, seen as better cover for players nursing injuries. Years later Charlton later said that he should have kept Waddock and dropped veteran striker

Frank Stapleton Francis Anthony Stapleton (born 10 July 1956) is an Irish former professional football player and manager. He is best remembered for his time at Arsenal, Manchester United and as a pivotal player for the Republic of Ireland national team. He h ...

instead. He debuted for Queens Park Rangers in 1979 and went on to play 203 times and scored eight goals in the following eight years, playing in the 1982 FA Cup final. He left QPR for

in Belgium for three years between 1987 and 1989, making 40 appearances and scoring one goal, before returning to London with

. In two years with Millwall, Waddock appeared 58 times and scored twice for the 'Lions'. By 1991 he was back at QPR although he failed to make the first team and found himself on loan at

where he made six appearances. Following on from his spell at Swindon, Waddock moved to

in 1992, scoring one goal in 71 matches over the next three years. His

swan song The swan song (; ) is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that swans sing a beautiful song just before their death while they have been ...

took place with

. In four years he made 153 appearances and scored his final three professional goals.

Managerial career

Queens Park Rangers

During his time as manager,

Ian Holloway Ian Scott Holloway (born 12 March 1963) is an English professional football manager, former player, media personality and television pundit who is the manager of club Swindon Town. A midfielder, he notably played in the Premier League with ...

took Waddock onto the coaching staff at

Loftus Road Loftus Road, currently known as MATRADE Loftus Road Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, West London, Greater London, England, which is home to Queens Park Rangers F.C., Queens Park Rangers Football Club, w ...

at the QPR academy. Waddock found himself the new caretaker manager at QPR following Holloway's suspension on 6 February 2006. Waddock, along with Alan McDonald as his assistant, managed to keep the club in the

Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...

, finishing 21st. He was appointed full-time manager on 28 June 2006 after Holloway was put on

gardening leave Garden leave (also known as gardening leave) is the practice whereby an employee leaving a job – having resigned or otherwise had their employment terminated – is instructed to stay away from work during the notice period, while still remaini ...

and eventually left for

Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Argyle Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Plymouth, Devon, England. The team currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. The club has played ...

. On 20 September 2006, after a poor set of results had left QPR bottom of the table, Waddock was replaced by John Gregory. He did, however, stay at the club as assistant manager.

Aldershot Town

He was confirmed as the new manager of Conference side

on 19 May 2007. Waddock won his first trophy on 3 April 2008, when Aldershot Town beat

Rushden & Diamonds Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Nicknamed "The Diamonds", the club played at Nene Park. The club's main rivals were county neighbours Kettering Town F.C., Ket ...

4–3 on penalties in the

Conference League Cup The National League Cup is an annual association football competition in England. The National League Cup is open to clubs playing in the National League and, since its revival in 2024, professional under-21 teams playing in the Premier League 2. ...

. The Shots finished top of the

Conference National The National League, officially known as Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in England. The National League is the first division of the National League (English football), National Le ...

with a record 101 points, and were promoted to the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...

after a 1–1 draw away at

Exeter City Exeter City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Exeter, Devon, England. The team play in , the third level of the English football league system. Known as "the Grecians", the origin of their nickname is subject to ...

gave them the point they needed. The Shots ended the season on an 18-match undefeated run. In recognition of this achievement, Waddock was named Conference manager of the year.

Wycombe Wanderers

Waddock was appointed manager of the League One side on 13 October 2009 as successor to the sacked

Peter Taylor Peter Taylor may refer to: Arts * Peter Taylor (writer) (1917–1994), American author, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction * Peter Taylor (film editor) (1922–1997), English film editor, winner of an Academy Award for Film Editing Politic ...

. Despite a turn in form, and a large turnover of players towards the end of the season, Waddock was unable to prevent Wycombe Wanderers' relegation to League Two. Waddock again added to his squad in the summer by signing Nikki Bull, Andy Sandell and Dave Winfield, who he had previously managed, whilst at Aldershot Town. At the start of 2011, he captured Scott Donnelly on a season long loan, who he previously managed at both Queens Park Rangers and Aldershot Town. Wycombe finished the 2010–11 season by being promoted back to League One (finishing third in League Two) after beating

Southend United Southend United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, which competes in the National League, the fifth level of English football. The team are known as "The Shrimpers", a reference ...

3–1 at

Adams Park Adams Park is a Association football, football stadium in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England. Built in 1990, it is the home ground of the local Wycombe Wanderers F.C., Wycombe Wanderers Football Club in EFL League One, League One, with a c ...

in their final game of the season. However, they were relegated back to League Two the following season. On 22 September, Waddock was sacked as manager after a 1–0 defeat to

AFC Wimbledon AFC Wimbledon is an English professional association football club based in Wimbledon, London, Wimbledon, London Borough of Merton, London. The team competes in , the third tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in ...

, their third successive defeat, left them 21st in League Two.

Milton Keynes Dons

In June 2013, Waddock was appointed as Head of Coaching at

Milton Keynes Dons Milton Keynes Dons Football Club, usually abbreviated to MK Dons, is a professional association football club based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the English football leag ...

alongside

Karl Robinson Karl Joseph Robinson (born 13 September 1980) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player. He is currently head coach of club Salford City F.C., Salford City. Robinson be ...

Oxford United

On 22 March 2014, Waddock was appointed as Head Coach of

, replacing caretaker manager

Mickey Lewis Michael Lewis (15 February 1965 – 5 March 2021) was an English professional footballer and manager who played for West Bromwich Albion, Derby County and Oxford United. From October 1999 to February 2000 and then again from January to March 201 ...

. The club failed to reach the League Two play-offs under his managership, losing 7 of the 8 games played during his tenure, and his contract was terminated in July the same year after changes in the club's ownership.

Barnet

Waddock joined

Barnet Barnet may refer to: People *Barnet (surname) *Barnet (given name) Places United Kingdom *Chipping Barnet or High Barnet, commonly known as Barnet, one of three focal towns of the borough below. *East Barnet, a district of the borough below; anc ...

in a coaching role for the 2014–15 season on a casual basis. In November, he agreed a rolling month-to-month contract, but left for

on 12 December.

Portsmouth

On 12 December 2014, Waddock was announced as the new assistant manager of Portsmouth. On 13 April 2015, Waddock was named as temporary manager for the last four games of the 2014–15 season after Andy Awford left the position by mutual consent.

Return to Aldershot Town

On 5 May 2016, Waddock was reappointed as first-team manager at his former club

of the

National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...

. On 2 May 2019, Waddock left the club after his contract was mutually terminated following their relegation from the National League.

Southend United

On 5 July 2019, he joined

as assistant manager to Kevin Bond. After Bond's resignation he took caretaker charge of the team until the appointment of

Sol Campbell Sulzeer Jeremiah "Sol" Campbell (born 18 September 1974) is an English professional football manager and former player. Widely regarded as one of the best centre-backs of his generation, he spent 20 years playing in the Premier League and had a ...

Cambridge United

On 10 July 2020, Waddock was appointed assistant head coach of

. He was part of the coaching staff that helped Cambridge United secure promotion to League One during the 2020–21 campaign. He was released as assistant head coach at the end of the 2022–23 season after the club narrowly avoided relegation

Walsall

On 28 June 2023, he was appointed assistant head coach at League Two club

Managerial statistics

Honours

As a manager

Aldershot Town *

Football Conference The National League of English Football Clubs is a professional Association football, football league in England that consists of 72 teams, divided equally between the National League (division), National League North and National League South ...

: 2007–08 *

: 2007–08 Wycombe Wanderers *

Football League Two The English Football League Two, simply known as League Two and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Bet League Two, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League Two is the fourth division of the English Football League (EFL ...

third-place promotion:

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Waddock, Gary 1962 births Living people People from Alperton Footballers from the London Borough of Brent People from Kingsbury, London English men's footballers English expatriate men's footballers Republic of Ireland men's association footballers Republic of Ireland men's under-21 international footballers Republic of Ireland men's under-23 international footballers Republic of Ireland men's B international footballers Republic of Ireland men's international footballers Men's association football midfielders Queens Park Rangers F.C. players Royal Charleroi S.C. players Millwall F.C. players Swindon Town F.C. players Bristol Rovers F.C. players Luton Town F.C. players English Football League players Belgian Pro League players Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium English football managers Republic of Ireland association football managers Queens Park Rangers F.C. managers Aldershot Town F.C. managers Wycombe Wanderers F.C. managers Portsmouth F.C. managers English Football League managers National League (English football) managers Barnet F.C. non-playing staff English expatriate sportspeople in Belgium Oxford United F.C. managers Southend United F.C. non-playing staff Southend United F.C. managers Cambridge United F.C. non-playing staff Walsall F.C. non-playing staff 20th-century Irish sportsmen