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Paul McNamara

Former Hong Kong boss Gary White said it would take a “courageous” owner to recruit him for a post in the upper reaches of English football.
Since being appointed British Virgin Islands (BVI) head coach, aged 24, back in 1998, White has managed five national teams, as well as clubs in Japan and China. He was shortlisted for the England under-21 manager’s job in 2017, but the role went to Aidy Boothroyd.
White, who is currently in charge of Chinese Taipei, would welcome a chance to manage in the English Championship, but recognised his unconventional background would frighten off some club chiefs.
The 50-year-old never played professionally, after being released by Southampton as a teenager.
“It would need someone with the courage to look outside the box, and see the results or improvements that have followed me in my jobs,” White told the Post.

“They would have to understand my qualities and what I bring, and not care how many Premier League games you’ve played.
“I would have to make an impact [given relative anonymity], but lots of unheard of foreign coaches go to England, so I don’t know why I’d be under the microscope any more than them. You live and die by how you play, and I bring exciting football and teams that fight for the fans.
“I’ve spoken to Premier League sporting directors who think my results are interesting, but others wouldn’t know how to manage me because I’ve not come through the English system.”
A number of starry-eyed English club owners have been seduced by big names when selecting their managers. Frank Lampard was recently appointed boss of Coventry City, despite failing to set the world alight with Chelsea or Everton, while fellow former England international Wayne Rooney is, surely, in the managerial last-chance saloon with Plymouth Argyle.
With experience of three head coach roles on mainland China, White acknowledged that “in the football industry, people like names”.
“It’s the same merry-go-round, with people making the same appointments and wondering why they get the same results,” he said.
“Maybe [big-name ex-players] earned their chances through their playing careers, but they’re no longer players. In China, I saw examples of players being finished, but owners wanting them at their clubs, when the best thing would have been to find a 23-year-old with drive and desire.
“It happened in Hong Kong with [Mohamed] Sissoko and [Diego] Forlan [who both played for Kitchee]. They might be big names who put bums on seats, but those bums disappear when people see they can’t run.”
White said he “had to get out of England” 26 years ago, because “I felt there must be something more and believed in myself”.
After his interviews for the BVI job were conducted over phone and email, White noticed the “shock” on the face of the association’s president when the new boss stepped off the plane. “I was young and looked younger,” White said. “I think he was looking to see if my dad was behind me.”

White overcame initial scepticism from players to dramatically improve BVI’s Fifa ranking.
“I was so confident, but also desperate,” he said. “I couldn’t go back to Southampton with my tail between my legs, it was do or die.”
White’s subsequent achievements, with Bahamas, Guam and Shanghai Shenxin, led to the England under-21 interview opportunity.
“It was an honour to be in the last three and … interviewed by Howard Wilkinson, Dan Ashworth and Gareth Southgate,” White said. “If I could have got in that system, it might have produced a chance with the senior team, but it was a great experience.”
White, who is in regular contact with ex-England manager Southgate after the pair formed a friendship during coaching courses, was offered a job with the Chinese arm of the City Football Group in 2019, only to be stranded in Japan when Covid closed the borders.
“That would have been an opportunity to be involved in something big,” White said. “Whatever I do next has to be right for my family. My wife has supported me wherever I’ve gone, but we have a nine-year-old son who needs to feel grounded and that will affect where we go.
“I am ambitious. Playing football didn’t happen the way I wanted, if I couldn’t be the best player, I wanted to be the best coach.”


English clubs would need to jump off Lampard, Rooney ‘merry-go-round’ to appoint White

Former Hong Kong boss White would consider return, non-football issues forced 2018 move

Real Madrid fans who paid thousands to meet players furious after Hong Kong event chaos

Hong Kong football fans stay away as Barcelona and Real Madrid legends clash falls flat

The Football Association of Hong Kong, China

Among his many positions, Gary White briefly coached Hong Kong in 2018. Photo: Edward Wong

 Frank Lampard was recently appointed boss of English Championship club Coventry City. Photo: AP

White stays in touch with Gareth Southgate after the pair developed a friendship on coaching courses. Photo: AP

A fan takes a selfie photo with former Barcelona player Javier Saviola (left) before the game between FC Barcelona Heroes and Real Madrid Legends at  Hong Kong Stadium. Photo: EPA-EFE

Real Madrid legend Luis Figo sits on a sofa at the Hong Kong Golf and Tennis Academy while fans hoping to get players’ autographs queue in the corridor. Photo: Handout

Carles Puyol shadows Fernando Morientes in front of rows of empty seats at Hong Kong Stadium. Photo: Dickson Lee

Thierry Henry played only 16 minutes for Barcelona before being withdrawn. Photo: Dickson Lee

Ricardo Quaresma skips past the lunging Christian Karembeu during Barca’s 5-2 win. Photo: Dickson Lee

Sport

Football

Gary White missed out on England under-21 job in 2017 but remains in touch with Gareth Southgate and has big ambitions


Gary White missed out on England under-21 job in 2017 but remains in touch with Gareth Southgate and has big ambitions.


Asian Football Confederation (AFC)