Ashvir Singh Johal has become the youngest manager in the top five of English football after he has been named Morecambe Boss – and his journey was downright incredible.
Singh Johal, 30, has been given the task of leading the shrimp to a new era after their nightmare period of uncertainty has finally ended on Sunday.
National League Morecambe was in financial downfall and on the edge of collapse before the Panjab Warriors consortium finally got their acquisition over the line on Sunday.
But their club -saving takeover has come with an unexpected start, the resignation of a loyal manager and the appointment of a highly valued prospect without previous professional management experience.
Popular figure Derek Adams was fired by the new owners on Monday, only 73 minutes after the acquisition was confirmed.
Morecambe mentioned “a strategic transition in leadership” in their statement in which he announced his dismissal, causing indignation of supporters of the shrimp that keep the manager to a large extent.
Now the club will put its confidence in Singh Johal, a student of two Arsenal icons who only earned his UEFA Pro license last month.
Start
Singh Johal started his journey to football coaching when he was only 16 years old, and completed his FA Level 1 -course at the same age that most people complete their GCSEs.
A teenager with a dream to be a manager one day, Singh Johal spent his time giving PE lessons and putting down cones to earn his stripes.
From there he started volunteering in Leicester City, starting with coaching at schools and community centers before he entered the Academy Pathway with the U7s and built himself to the U18s.
Singh Johal brought that role in balance with his A-levels, went to school from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. before he started his coaching at 6 p.m. and went home and then revised.
Balancing his A-levels became his university work in balance when Singh Johal spent eight years at the Foxes, and took his voluntary role in a part-time role and then finally a permanent position.
Learn from the best
After grinding with Leicester, Singh Johal earned a position as an assistant coach of Kolo Toure at Wigan Athletic – his first role as the first team coach in the championship in just 27 years old.
Although Toure's time was responsible for the Latics of short duration and was not successful, Singh Johal claimed that he learned a lot from the Arsenal Invincible.
He said earlier: “Kolo taught me a lot – about leadership, professionalism and appreciation of people.
“He led with calmness, clarity and humility and created an environment where people felt and supported. I learned a lot – not just about the game, but about how to lead with goal and consistency.”
After leaving Wigan, Singh Johal landed another job that worked under a different Arsenal icon.
This time he joined Cesc Fabergas in Italy in Como, and earned the role of assistant manager of Como's Primavera team.
When he works so close to Fabregas, Singh Johal said: “CESC showed incredible clarity, hunger and conviction in how he wanted his team to play – every day was so detailed.
“His belief in his leadership style and methodology, wins, losing or drawing, taught me so much about consistency and identity.
“I am grateful to both Kolo and CESC for their trust and guidance during such an important phase in their coaching travel. Being part of the first steps in management was a real privilege.”
History
Singh Johal returned to the UK last year after the problems with the work permit caused by Brexit meant that he could no longer continue his journey in Italy.
Upon returning to English football, he became the manager of the B-team of Notts County, a side that develops talent between the academy and the first team.
The Up and Comer have claimed that his time with the club has been an “important step” in his journey.
Earlier this summer he became one of the youngest coaches in the history of English football to complete his UEFA Pro License qualification -graduate as part of the same cohort as ex England and Arsenal star Jack Wilshere.
That was a little more than a month ago, and now he starts his first job in professional management after he landed his National League performance with Morecambe.
Singh Johal is not only the youngest boss in all the top five in England, and becomes the first Sikh who takes the lead over a professional club in the UK.
Singh Johal said on his journey and finally his ambition to become a professional manager, said: “All in all, I had many good experiences that made me ready for this opportunity.
“I have worked hard for the past five or six years. I knew I wanted to become a manager.
“How do I learn from the right people? How am I in the right environments? So if I get the chance to become a manager, I am successful from the start.
“For me that is the priority. Okay, this is about Morecambe Football Club, it is about building a team that can perform on the field. That is our priority this season.”
Add: “It's what I wanted to do, it's my dream since I was 14 or 15 years old. Every day the target I worked is.
“But now there is a new target. The goal is to ensure that Morecambe is successful as a club.”