Yankeesâ Spencer Jones blasts home run in his first spring training game
Even after coming off a tough season in the minors, Spencer Jones knows how to start big league camp with a bang.
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Ex-Man Utd coach Eric Ramsay on why he has no regrets leaving the Premier League
Eric Ramsay raised a few eyebrows last season when he quit Manchester United to take up his first head coach role with Major League Soccer side Minnesota United - but it is a move that he hopes others will repeat
đ Click Here to read in detail đ
Eric Ramsay has no regrets about leaving the chaos of the Premier League for a trailblazing move to the MLS - and encouraged up-and-coming British managers to follow his lead.
The 33-year-old Welshman quit Manchester United last February to become the youngest head coach in Major League Soccer history with Minnesota United, his first job as the main man. Ramsay - who also counts Shrewsbury Town, Chelsea and the Wales senior side on his impressive CV - was highly regarded at Old Trafford, having cut his teeth in the coaching ranks under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag.
But his determination to create his own path as a No.1 eventually saw him take the unfamiliar route for a young British coach - he made the move to Major League Soccer rather than take a job in the English leagues. And while he admits he's still got a lot to learn, it's a decision that has paid off as he bids to make it to the very top.
An impressive debut season in 2024 saw Ramsay lead Minnesota to sixth in the MLS Western Conference, but they ultimately lost in the MLS Cup play-offs to eventual winners LA Galaxy. Ramsay is eager to continue his progress this season, and he only has to look back at Ten Hag's tenure in charge of the Red Devils to realise a job closer to home could have ultimately destroyed his coaching career before it even got started.
He said: "I think the biggest thing at that club (United) is the energy to lead a club of that size amid all the turmoil, the scrutiny, the difficulty, the number of games that you play, the difficult periods you've got to ride, the number of interviews you've got to do.
"That's sometimes an overlooked thing. For example, Erik was doing 10 interviews after an evening game at some points - and after a game that you've lost in a difficult period. The energy to front up to that and the leadership, to come in the next day and lead the group and give the group a sense of purpose, that's difficult.
"In the media, one slip up in one of those 10 interviews, and suddenly that's headline news, so I think me having seen that up close, and then being able to consider my next step... I think as a young British coach you can get lots of hype around you very quickly, and end up moving through the steps very quickly, but then the sort of career can be over before it's begun really.
"It's not an easy profession, particularly in England where the level of scrutiny and media interest, even in League One or in the Championship, is just insane. Managers getting sacked is a bit of a national sport.
Ramsay has impressed in the MLS"You want to be as prepared as possible. I'm very adamant that I wanted to make sure that I've genuinely got the skill set to do the job well. I feel like if I look back on last year and what I've learnt over the course of a year, how different I am now 12 months on compared to when I first went in the job.
"I'm just very grateful for having taken this step and made this decision, and having the people around me that I've got here, because I do genuinely feel like I'll be 10 times better prepared for whatever comes next."
After all, there's no better experience than learning on the job. And while most managers would jump at the chance of managing a club of United's stature, it isn't for everyone. His close friend Kieran McKenna was targeted by Sir Jim Ratcliffe when Ten Hag's future was under scrutiny last summer - and it is also understood he rejected Chelsea to continue his project at Ipswich Town.
Another example is Thomas Frank, who is regularly linked with top jobs - including United before Ruben Amorim's appointment - but he remains happy at Brentford. Ramsay added: "I've seen Thomas Frank interviews recently - he's obviously always been talked about as being in line for some of the big jobs. I think he answers one question by saying there's a lot of good things, a happy medium, to being in a club like Brentford.
Ramsay with Erik ten Hag at Manchester United (Image:
PA)"You have the niceness of being right at the top level, but you don't have some of the really difficult stuff to deal with, that you do at some of those clubs. Obviously I'm ambitious, I want to work at the highest level, but it's a million miles from being on my agenda, to manage a club of that size, but I can see the pros and cons for sure."
A top job in the Premier League may not be on Ramsay's to-do list right now, but the relentless nature of life at the European powerhouse is an experience he appreciates. In Solskjaer, Rangnick and Ten Hag, he worked under three very different personalities with contrasting approaches to tactics.
He has applied the lessons learnt at Carrington and added them to his philosophy at Minnesota, with Ramsay regarded as a great communicator who has the respect of his dressing room. While all three of his old Red Devils boss ultimately failed to pull the club out of their post-Sir Alex Ferguson crisis, his three years at the club has ultimately helped him become the man he is today.
Ramsay also worked under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Image:
Getty Images)He added: "You've got an argument to say that the top 10 could make the top four in the Premier League, so in United's context they're dealing with all the complexity that comes with being at United in a league that is ridiculously competitive.
"I can attest that that is a really, really difficult place to work. I'm sure anyone who crossed those three (Solskjaer, Rangnick and Ten Hag) - Darren Fletcher was there across all three - we would probably say exactly the same thing.
"While it was tough because of the turnover and the constant change, I think if you just look at it from a selfish perspective, it was a really good three years for me to see three different ways of working. Three very different personalities, but all three with some very, very solid traits in their own right, and all very good communicators."
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football . We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
 â California Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked Congress to approve nearly $40 billion in aid to help the Los Angeles area recover from January's devastating wildfires, which he said could become the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. %23worldnews)
