John Herdman is a Newcastle United fan but it could have all been so different for the Canada boss given his love for Bryan Robson.
The World Cup is just around the corner and Gareth Southgate finds himself under huge pressure ahead of the tournament.
The England boss has suffered a tough 2022 and a poor performance in Qatar may lead to him losing his job.
Southgate isn’t the only English manager at the World Cup though with John Herdman set to lead Canada into their first World Cup since 1986.
John Herdman is a Newcastle United fan
Herdman has done a pretty incredible job.
The 47-year-old actually came up in the women’s game, managing New Zealand and then Canada, before taking over as men’s coach of the latter in 2018.
Herdman has harnessed top talents like Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David whilst also helping the likes of Stephen Eustaquio and Tajon Buchanan go up another level.
It’s a remarkable rise for the English coach who is now just weeks away from walking out onto the pitch as a World Cup manager.
Born in County Durham, Herdman will be the pride of the North East at the World Cup – and he has opened up on his allegiance to Newcastle.
Herdman has told the Daily Mail that he actually started out as a Manchester United fan because he loved midfielder Robson, who also hailed from the North East.
Herdman’s father was a Newcastle fan but it took a disappointing encounter with Manchester United players in 1986 to turn him towards the Magpies.
The Canada boss noted that United players wouldn’t sign autographs for him at St James’ Park so he came away hating the Red Devils, turning him towards Newcastle after all.
“I was actually a Man United fan at the time,” said Herdman. “My dad was Newcastle daft. I liked Bryan Robson, he was from Chester-Le-Street. I just remember him being like the England hero at the time, Captain Marvel. I got a Man United kit for Christmas.”
“And I came out of there hating Man United because when they got off the bus, I was there with me Man United kit – I’m probably the only one welcoming them to the stadium. And none of the players would sign autographs. And I remember Norman Whiteside telling us to do one as well!” he added.
If Canada impress at the World Cup, would anybody be surprised to see Herdman become a target for English clubs?
A move to Newcastle may seem a little lofty, but Dan Burn probably thought the same just a few years ago before landing his dream switch to Tyneside.
Who knows what the future holds for Herdman, but Newcastle fans will surely be cheering on one of their own in Qatar.
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