 Dyche in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Sean Mark Dyche[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1971-06-28)28 June 1971 (age 54)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Kettering, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1] | ||
| Position | Centre-back[2] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Nottingham Forest (head coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1987–1989 | Nottingham Forest | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989–1990 | Nottingham Forest | 0 | (0) |
| 1990–1997 | Chesterfield | 231 | (8) |
| 1997–1999 | Bristol City | 17 | (0) |
| 1999 | →Luton Town (loan) | 14 | (1) |
| 1999–2002 | Millwall | 69 | (3) |
| 2002–2005 | Watford | 72 | (0) |
| 2005–2007 | Northampton Town | 56 | (0) |
| Total | 459 | (12) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2011–2012 | Watford | ||
| 2012–2022 | Burnley | ||
| 2023–2025 | Everton | ||
| 2025– | Nottingham Forest | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Sean Mark Dyche (/daɪtʃ/;[3] born 28 June 1971) is an English professionalfootball manager and formerfootballer who is the head coach ofPremier League clubNottingham Forest.
During his playing career, Dyche played as acentre-back, making his professional debut in 1990 and representingChesterfield – whom hecaptained and scored for in anFA Cup semi-final. He also played forBristol City,Luton Town,Millwall,Watford andNorthampton Town. He was promoted with three of his six clubs. After retiring as a player in 2007, he coached at Watford, including a stint as manager between June 2011 and July 2012.
After leaving Watford, Dyche became the manager ofBurnley in October 2012. He guided the club to two promotions to the Premier League, in2013–14 and2015–16. During the2017–18 season, he led Burnley totheir first European campaign since 1967, following a seventh-place league finish. Dyche became the longest-serving manager in the Premier League at the end of the2019–20 season. He was dismissed by Burnley in April 2022, when the club was in the relegation zone. Dyche was appointed manager ofEverton in January 2023, and was dismissed two years later. In October 2025, he was appointed manager ofNottingham Forest.
Dyche was a youth-team player atNottingham Forest in the late 1980s, whileBrian Clough was manager. When he joined Forest he was 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) and weighed 10 stone but grew to 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) and 12 stone after a year. He injured his leg early in his career, which Dyche said held him back. It also left him with a permanent bend in his leg.[4] Dyche was present at theHillsborough disaster, having travelled to the stadium as part of the Forest youth side.[5]
He left Forest in early 1990 without making a first-team appearance, and signed forChesterfield, where he later becamecaptain. Dyche was part of the team that reached theFA Cup semi-finals in1997. In the FA Cup semi-final againstMiddlesbrough, he scored apenalty to put his side 2–0 up in an eventual 3–3 draw. Chesterfield lost the replay 3–0.[6]
Dyche left Chesterfield forBristol City in 1997, helping them win promotion toDivision One in his first season. City were relegated the following season, during which Dyche spent time on loan atLuton Town. He moved toMillwall for £150,000 in 1999, but only played once in his first season due to a back injury.[7] He won promotion to Division One in 2001 and came close to aPremier League place the following year, losing to eventual promotion winnersBirmingham City in the play-off semi-finals.[8]
In July 2002,Watford managerRay Lewington signed Dyche within 24 hours of his appointment.[9] Two years later, Dyche was named captain asNeil Cox did not want the responsibility in his final year at the club.[10]
Dyche signed forNorthampton Town in 2005,[11] and was involved in their2005–06 promotion fromLeague Two. He was released at the end of the2006–07 season, aged 35.[12]
Having retired, following his release from Northampton, Dyche re-joinedWatford as under-18s coach in 2007,[13] and was promoted to assistant manager in July 2009 whenMalky Mackay was appointed Watford manager.[14] Mackay left to joinCardiff City in June 2011, and Dyche was promoted to manager.[15] Watford finished the2011–12 season in eleventh place in the Football League Championship, the club's best finish for four years, but a change in club ownership led to his dismissal at the end of the season.[16]
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Dyche joined theEngland national under-21 football team as a temporary member of the backroom staff in September 2012,[17] but the following month became manager ofBurnley, succeedingEddie Howe, who had left the club to rejoinBournemouth.[18] Before the start of the2013–14 campaign, Burnley were tipped as relegation candidates by thebookies; Dyche had to work with a tight budget and a small squad, and Burnley's top goal scorer from the previous season,Charlie Austin, had moved to Championship rivalsQueens Park Rangers. In Dyche's first full season in charge, however, Burnley finished second and were promoted back to thePremier League. The new strike partnership ofDanny Ings andSam Vokes had 41 league goals between them.[19] Dyche used only 23 players during the season, which was the joint-lowest in the division, and had paid only one transfer fee – £400,000 for strikerAshley Barnes.[20] Burnley's spell in the top flight lasted only a single season, as they were relegated with two games to spare.[21] Thefollowing season, Burnley won the Championship title when they equalled their 2013–14 tally of 93 points and ended the season with a run of 23 undefeated league games.[22]
Burnley finished the2016–17 season in 16th place, six points above the relegation zone, and were guaranteed to play consecutive seasons in the top flight for the first time in the Premier League era.[23] During 2017, the club's new Barnfield Training Centre was completed and replaced the 60-year-old Gawthorpe. Dyche was involved in the design and had willingly tailored his transfer spending as he and the board focused on the club's infrastructure and future.[24][25] In January 2018, Dyche signed a new contract with Burnley to remain as manager until the summer of 2022.[26] He had guided Burnley to seventh place in the Premier League at the time of signing his contract. Theseason ended withUEFA Europa League qualificationfor the first time for over half a century, securing their best finish to a top flight season since a sixth-placed finish in1973–74.[27] Following qualification for European football, "The Princess Royal" pub in Burnley was renamed "The Royal Dyche" in honour of him.[28] Burnley were eliminated in the play-off round by Greek sideOlympiacos after the side had defeated Scottish clubAberdeen and Turkish teamİstanbul Başakşehir in the previous qualifying rounds.[29]
The2019–20 season was interrupted for three months because of theCOVID-19 pandemic before being completedbehind closed doors;[30] Burnley concluded the campaign in 10th place, five points below the European qualification places.[31][32] On 15 April 2022, Dyche was dismissed by Burnley after being with the club for nine and a half years. At the time of his dismissal, the club was in the relegation zone, four points behindEverton with eight games remaining.[33] The decision to dismiss Dyche by the club's owners was widely criticised, with BBC writer Phil McNulty describing it as "blind panic" in their attempt to retain their Premier League status by appointing a new manager.[34]Mike Jackson succeeded Dyche as caretaker manager for the rest of the season, with Burnley relegated after finishing in 18th on the final day of the season.[35]
On 30 January 2023, Dyche was appointed manager of Premier League club Everton on a two-and-a-half-year contract, replacingFrank Lampard.[36] In his first game in charge on 4 February, Everton defeated league leadersArsenal 1–0.[37]
Dyche took his team into the final day of the season on 28 May 2023, with Everton holding a two-point lead in 17th over fellow relegation rivalsLeicester City andLeeds United. Everton went on to win their final match 1–0 againstBournemouth, which successfully retained their Premier League status.[38]
On 24 April 2024, Dyche's Everton team defeatedLiverpool 2–0 in theMerseyside derby with goals fromJarrad Branthwaite andDominic Calvert-Lewin. This was Everton's first home win at Goodison Park against Liverpool since 2010.[39] He was thePremier League Manager of the Month for April 2024 after taking 13 points from a possible 18, including four consecutive home wins without conceding a goal.[40] Everton avoided relegation with three games remaining, despite an eight-point deduction for historicalUEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations breaches; Dyche said that working alongside these sanctions was "very taxing, very tiring".[41]
On 9 January 2025, Dyche was dismissed by Everton, three hours before an FA Cup third round home tie withPeterborough United. By the time of his dismissal, Everton were only one point above the relegation zone, having only won three of their last nineteen games in the2024–25 season.[42] Everton appointedDavid Moyes as his replacement.[43]
On 21 October 2025, Dyche was appointed as manager ofNottingham Forest, replacingAnge Postecoglou.[44] Two days later, he managed his first match, securing a 2–0 win overPorto in theEuropa League.[45]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chesterfield | 1989–90[46] | Fourth Division | 22 | 2 | — | — | 3[a] | 0 | 25 | 2 | ||
| 1990–91[47] | Fourth Division | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 32 | 2 | |
| 1991–92[48] | Fourth Division | 42 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 46 | 3 | |
| 1992–93[49] | Third Division | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 22 | 1 | |
| 1993–94[50] | Third Division | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 25 | 0 | |
| 1994–95[51] | Third Division | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| 1995–96[52] | Second Division | 41 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | 48 | 0 | |
| 1996–97[53] | Second Division | 36 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 1 | |
| Total | 231 | 8 | 13 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 269 | 9 | ||
| Bristol City | 1997–98[54] | Second Division | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 1998–99[55] | First Division | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Total | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | ||
| Luton Town (loan) | 1998–99[55] | Second Division | 14 | 1 | — | — | 1[c] | 0 | 15 | 1 | ||
| Millwall | 1999–2000[56] | Second Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2000–01[57] | Second Division | 33 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | |
| 2001–02[58] | First Division | 35 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 39 | 3 | ||
| Total | 69 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 3 | ||
| Watford | 2002–03[59] | First Division | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | |
| 2003–04[60] | First Division | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 27 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05[61] | Championship | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 26 | 0 | ||
| Total | 72 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 78 | 0 | |||
| Northampton Town | 2005–06[62] | League Two | 35 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| 2006–07[63] | League One | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| Total | 56 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 459 | 12 | 21 | 1 | 23 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 520 | 13 | ||
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| Watford | 21 June 2011 | 6 July 2012 | 49 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 034.69 |
| Burnley | 30 October 2012 | 15 April 2022 | 425 | 149 | 118 | 158 | 035.06 |
| Everton | 30 January 2023 | 9 January 2025 | 84 | 26 | 26 | 32 | 030.95 |
| Nottingham Forest | 21 October 2025 | present | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 050.00 |
| Total | 563 | 195 | 162 | 206 | 034.64 | ||
Millwall
Burnley
Individual
Dyche was born inKettering, Northamptonshire.[2] He grew up as an admirer ofLiverpool, but was aKettering Town supporter.[69][70] His father was a management consultant atBritish Steel Corporation, working in Egypt, India, andCorby. He has two brothers.[4] Dyche and his wife Jane have two children.[71] Dyche's son,Max, plays professional football forNorthampton Town.[72]
Dyche is well known for his distinctive gravelly voice.[73][74][75][76]
Dyche features in aninternet meme criticising modern trends in football, in which the phrase "utterwoke nonsense" is attributed to him;[77] he said "I wish I'd copyrighted it. Considering I didn’t actually say it, it does follow me around".[78]
