Des Buckingham

Desmond Buckingham (born 7 February 1985) is an English professional football manager who is the current head coach of Indian Super League club Mumbai City.[1]

Des Buckingham
Personal information
Full name Desmond Buckingham
Date of birth (1985-02-07) 7 February 1985
Place of birth Oxford, England
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Mumbai City (head coach)
Youth career
Years Team
2000–2002 Reading
2002–2004 Oxford United
Managerial career
2015–2017 Wellington Phoenix (assistant)
2017 Wellington Phoenix
2017–2018 Stoke City U21 (assistant)
2018–2019 New Zealand U23 (assistant)
2018–2019 New Zealand (assistant)
2019 New Zealand (caretaker)
2018–2020 New Zealand U20
2019–2020 New Zealand U23
2020–2021 Melbourne City (assistant)
2021– Mumbai City

Buckingham became the youngest head coach in the history of the A-League during the 2016–17 A-League season.[2]

Playing career

Born in Oxford, England, Buckingham had spells in the youth and reserve teams of English sides Reading and Oxford United.[3][4] A professional career did not materialise, and Buckingham subsequently joined Oxford & Cherwell Valley College in a full-time coaching and teaching role over a four-year period.[5][6]

Coaching career

Oxford United

Buckingham began his professional coaching career at Oxford United at the age of 18, initially working through the club's age-group squads. At the start of the 2013–14 Football League Two season, Buckingham progressed as a coach into the first team, under then-manager, Chris Wilder.[7]

In his time at the club, Buckingham was able to support the transition of 24 players from the youth ranks into their first professional contracts.[8]

Wellington Phoenix

Buckingham joined the Wellington Phoenix during the 2014–15 A-League season under head coach Ernie Merrick. On 1 January 2017, following the resignation of Merrick, he was appointed as manager until the end of the season.[9] At 31 years of age, he became the youngest manager in A-League history and was able to lift the club off the bottom of the table, finishing one place outside the playoffs at the end of the season.[10][11]

Stoke City

In July, 2017 Buckingham was granted permission to leave Wellington Phoenix and take up a role at then-Premier League club Stoke City as an assistant coach with their under-23 team.[12][13]

New Zealand Football

A return to New Zealand in 2018 saw Buckingham appointed as head coach of the New Zealand U20 team and assistant manager of the senior national team.[14][15]

In August, 2018 Buckingham led the team to the 2018 OFC U-19 Championship, qualifying for the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[16][17] At the World Cup, Buckingham's New Zealand side recorded their highest ever finish at a men's FIFA tournament, eventually being knocked out by Colombia in the round of 16 after a controversial penalty shoot-out.[18][19][20] The team also posted New Zealand's biggest ever win at a FIFA tournament with a 5–0 win over Honduras,[21] becoming the first New Zealand team to win back to back games at a FIFA event, the team also recorded their first ever win over European opposition with a 2–0 win over Norway.[22][23] Buckingham earned plaudits for the team's quality of football and style of play. Former All Whites Ricki Herbert and Wynton Rufer praised the positive and attacking approach to winning games rarely seen before in New Zealand.[24][25][26][27][28][29]

Despite being linked to clubs in the English Football League and A-League, Buckingham accepted the New Zealand U23 managerial position in June 2019, leading the side into the 2019 Pacific Games and OFC Olympic Qualifying Tournament.[30][31][32] Buckingham guided New Zealand to its first-ever gold medal at the 2019 Pacific Games, leading an U-23 side through an otherwise senior international competition undefeated.[33][34]

In September 2019, in the lead up to the OFC Olympic Qualifying Tournament the New Zealand U-23 side played out two draws against their Australian counterparts.[35]

On 5 October 2019, Buckingham led New Zealand to its third Olympic Games, qualifying for Tokyo 2020 by winning the OFC U-23 Championship.[36][37] In doing so, the team became the most dominant men's side to have played in an Oceania Football Confederation competition by winning all five games and finishing with a goal difference of +29.[38] The New Zealand U23 side remained unbeaten during his tenure, winning nine and drawing three of 12 games.[39]

New Zealand Football announced that Buckingham would leave his role as coach of the under-23 side in April 2020, despite a large group of players writing to the governing body to retain his services as coach.[40][41][42] Buckingham's contract was not extended following delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics and he was replaced by Danny Hay.[43][44]

Buckingham was named Men's Coach of the year at New Zealand Football Awards 2020.[45]

Melbourne City

In September 2020, Buckingham joined A-League club Melbourne City as Assistant Coach after being identified by the City Football Group.[46] He has managed the team on multiple occasions in the absence of Patrick Kisnorbo, when he has been injured[47] or ill.[48]

In his first season, Melbourne City claimed their maiden A-League trophy in the teams eleven-year history, winning the league to secure the A-League Premiers Plate.[49] The team completed the double a month later, winning their first A-League Grand Final.[50]

2021–22 season

On 8 October 2021, Buckingham was appointed as the head coach of Indian Super League club Mumbai City of the City Football Group on a two-year contract.[51][52] Under his management, the club began its 2021–22 season campaign with a 3–0 win on 22 November against FC Goa. In Buckingham's first season in charge, Mumbai City finished the season on fifth place, amassing 31 points from 20 games.

Ahead of the 2022 AFC Champions League kick-off, the club travelled to Abu Dhabi for a training camp and defeated Emirati giants Al Ain 2–1 in a friendly match.[53]

On 11 April 2022, Buckingham led City to the Clubs first win at the AFC Champions League, becoming the first Indian team to win a game in the competition, beating Iraqi Premier League champions Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 2–1 at the King Fahd International Stadium in Saudi Arabia.[54][55]

Buckingham's side became the most successful Indian Club to compete in the AFC Champions League.,[56] finishing second in Group B, with results against Al-Jazira[57] and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya[58] adding to their second-round win. Mumbai City and Buckingham won praise for their fearless approach and positive playing style at the tournament.[59][60][61]

2022–23 season

On 18 August 2022, under Buckingham, Mumbai City made their Durand Cup debut with a 4–1 win over Indian Navy. The team progressed to the knockout stages, finishing top of their five-team group that included Indian Super League clubs ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.[62] Mumbai City advanced through the quarter-final stage, beating Chennaiyin before securing a win over Mohammedan in the semi-finals to make their first ever Durand Cup Final.[63] Mumbai City finished as runners-up in the tournament after a 2–1 loss to Bengaluru in the final on 18 September 2022.[64]

Mumbai City won the Indian Super League (ISL) on 11 February 2023 after an 18-match unbeaten streak, the longest in ISL history. Buckingham’s side broke fifteen records while securing the title, including the most points and goals scored in a single season, while also having the best goal difference, most league wins and longest winning streak in the history of the competition. [65]

On 4 April 2023, Buckingham’s team sealed a place in the 2023 AFC Champions League group stage after defeating Jamshedpur 3-1 in a play-off final, the first Indian Club to secure consecutive qualification to the pinnacle of Asian club football.[66][67]

In May 2023, Buckingham was voted Coach of the Year by the Indian Players Football Association. [68]

Personal life

Buckingham is a qualified pilot, and holds a Master's degree in advanced performance football coaching through the University of South Wales.

He was inducted into the 2019 edition of the High Performance Sport New Zealand Coach Accelerator Programme, a three-year programme aimed at developing and increasing New Zealand's pool of world-class coaches.[69]

Managerial statistics
As of match played 3 October 2023
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record Ref.
M W D L GF GA GD Win %
Wellington Phoenix (interim)5 December 201631 December 2016 4 1 3 0 7 4 +3 025.00 [70]
Wellington Phoenix1 January 20177 June 2017 15 5 3 7 28 28 +0 033.33 [70]
New Zealand U2023 March 201831 December 2019 11 8 1 2 35 7 +28 072.73 [71][72]
New Zealand U2322 June 201930 April 2020 12 9 3 0 57 8 +49 075.00 [73]
Melbourne City (caretaker) 2 March 2021 10 May 2021 3 3 0 0 8 3 +5 100.00 [70]
Mumbai City8 October 2021Present 67 37 11 19 139 93 +46 055.22 [74][75][76][77]
Total 112 63 21 28 274 143 +131 056.25

Honours

New Zealand U20

New Zealand U23

Melbourne City

Mumbai City

Individual

  • New Zealand Football Men's Coach of the Year: 2020
  • FPAI Coach of the Year: 2023[79]

References
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