Former Leeds United Star Lands First Managerial Job

Former Leeds United and Ipswich Town defender Alex Bruce has landed his first-ever managerial job after being named as the new head coach of Macclesfield FC.

When Manchester United legend Steve Bruce was named as the West Bromwich Albion manager in 2022, his son, Alex, was brought onto the coaching staff for his first experience in the dugout.

Steve Bruce was dismissed early into the 2022/23 season but Alex has decided to go it alone in the coaching world, taking up the manager position with the Silkmen as the side push for promotion out of the Northern Premier League.

The ex-Northern Ireland international came out of retirement and played a handful of games for Macclesfield back in 2021 and has now returned to the Leasing.com Stadium, placing long-term Man United coach Paul McGuinness and former Sunderland player Phil Bardsley onto his backroom staff.

The club have also confirmed that Dan Ternent is coming in as Head of Recruitment.

Sporting Director and ex-Blackburn Rovers man Robbie Savage was delighted with the four new arrivals. In a club statement, Savage said:

“We are delighted to announce that Alex Bruce will be the new First Team manager at Macclesfield FC, Paul McGuinness as Head Coach, Phil Bardsley as Assistant Manager, and Dan Ternent as Head of Recruitment.

“For Alex to have Paul McGuinness as his Head Coach provides a blend of youth and experience at Manchester United for over 20 years. For us to acquire the services of Paul McGuinness is a major coup for the football club which inevitably for the benefit of our football club is amazing.

“To have the amount of knowledge that Alex, Paul, Phil, and Dan boast, it is a major incentive for any young footballer looking to develop and we are delighted that they are on board at Macclesfield Football Club.”

Writer’s View

Macclesfield mean business. If Savage is responsible for bringing all four men into the club, then he needs massive praise for doing so.

While Bruce is an experienced manager, having someone like Paul McGuinness with a wealth of coaching experience, who helped develop players such as David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford at Carrington, is a sensational appointment.