Paul Ince

Role: Manager

Date Of Birth: 21st October 1967

Appointed: 25th June 2007

Left role: 25th June 2008

Reappointed: 3rd July 2009

Left role: 10th May 2010

A lifelong West Ham United supporter, Paul Ince was spotted playing football at the age of 12 by West Ham manager John Lyall. He joined the club as a trainee at 14 and established himself as a regular first-team player during the 1987–88 season. In 1989, he moved to Manchester United, where he made 206 appearances and scored 25 goals.

Ince also enjoyed a successful international career, earning 53 caps for England between 1992 and 2000 and scoring twice.

After leaving Manchester United in 1995, he played for Inter Milan, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Swindon Town, where he took on a player-coach role. In 2006, he became player-manager of Macclesfield Town.

On 25 June 2007, Ince was unveiled as the new manager of Milton Keynes Dons, alongside assistant manager Ray Mathias and fitness coach Duncan Russell. The Dons quickly made their mark under Ince, reaching the top of League Two in September 2007 and attracting interest from clubs higher up the football pyramid. During October and November, Ince dismissed speculation linking him with managerial vacancies at Premier League clubs Wigan Athletic and Derby County, as well as Championship side Norwich City.

Ince was named League Two Manager of the Month in October and December 2007, and again in April 2008. His first major trophy as a manager came on 31 March 2008, when the Dons defeated Grimsby Town 2–0 in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final at Wembley.

The success continued in April, as Ince guided the Dons back to League One after a 3–2 victory over Stockport County. On 26 April, Milton Keynes Dons were crowned League Two champions following a 2–1 win over Bradford City.

On 22 June 2008, Ince was appointed manager of Blackburn Rovers, becoming the first Black British manager to take charge of a club in England’s top division. However, after winning just three of his first 17 games, he was dismissed on 16 December 2008.

Ince returned to Milton Keynes Dons on 3 July 2009, signing a two-year contract. His second spell was less successful, with the club finishing 13th in League One. On 16 April 2010, he announced that he would leave the club at the end of the season, a year before his contract was due to expire.

He returned to management on 28 October 2010, agreeing a three-year contract with Notts County. However, after a club-record run of nine consecutive defeats, Ince left by mutual consent on 3 April 2011.

On 18 February 2013, Ince was appointed manager of Blackpool on a one-year rolling contract. His tenure lasted less than a year, ending on 21 January 2014 after 40 league games, making him the fourth-shortest-serving manager in the club’s history.

Paul Ince was appointed manager of Reading on 19th February 2022 and left in April 2023.