Europe's youngest top-flight manager: Jordan Hadaway

Jordan Hadaway has been in charge of Llandudno since August 2023. At 18, he was managing Caerwys, and his squad included a 41-year-old captain. Today, aged 25, he holds a UEFA A Licence and, in the 2025/26 season, led the Seasiders to promotion to the Cymru Premier.

The routes into football management are changing. Once almost the preserve of former professionals, the job no longer requires a playing career. This has opened the door for a younger generation. Thirteen managers and head coaches in England's top four divisions are under 40. The youngest is Brighton's Fabian Hurzeler, aged 33.

At 14, Hadaway chose to focus on coaching rather than becoming a player. Two days after his 16th birthday, he earned the Level 1 Leaders Award. At 18, he was working towards his UEFA B Licence. He later coached at the Real Madrid Foundation and completed his A Licence in 2024. He says Nigel Adkins and Robert Earnshaw were among those who helped him along the way.

While at Caerwys, he wrote to Roy Hodgson, then in charge of Crystal Palace. Hodgson was the oldest manager in the league at the time. Hadaway says he received a reply from Hodgson's personal assistant and was invited to meet him. However, the Covid outbreak hit on the day of the meeting, and by the time everything reopened, Hodgson had been sacked.