Sean Dyche appointed as new Nottingham Forest Manager

 Nottingham Forest have confirmed the appointment of Sean Dyche as their new head coach on a contract running until the summer of 2027

Arriving with a wealth of Premier League experience, the 53‑year‑old, a former Forest youth player, takes charge immediately and will be in the dugout for Thursday night’s Europa League clash against FC Porto.

Dyche, have managed more than 330 top‑flight matches during spells at Burnley and Everton. He is renowned for building sides with defensive organisation, resilience and strength from set pieces, qualities Forest believe align closely with their current squad. The new manager will be joined by long‑time assistant Ian Woan and fellow former Forest midfielder Steve Stone. Between them, Woan and Stone made more than 400 appearances for the Reds during the 1990s, adding a strong sense of continuity and club identity to the backroom team.

The recruitment process was led by Global Head of Football Edu Gaspar and Global Technical Director George Syrianos, who described Dyche as bringing “the perfect blend of character, tactical acumen and proven achievement” to guide the club into its next chapter. Dyche’s appointment also carries a personal dimension. Having come through Forest’s youth system and still living locally, he is seen as someone who understands the values and pride of the club’s supporters. Forest believe his man‑management skills, combined with his tactical pragmatism, provide the best opportunity for a competitive season both domestically and in Europe.

The Reds have endured a turbulent period with managerial changes in recent seasons. Dyche’s contract into the summer of 2027 and his reputation for discipline and structure is expected to bring stability. His immediate challenge will be to balance the demands of Premier League survival with the club’s European ambitions.

Sean Dyche’s biggest managerial successes came during his decade at Burnley, where he twice won promotion to the Premier League and established the club as a resilient top‑flight side. His crowning achievement was the remarkable 7th‑place finish in the 2017/18 season, which secured European football for Burnley for the first time in over half a century.

Dyche’s managerial journey began at Watford in 2011, where he took charge for a single season in the Championship. Despite financial constraints, he guided the Hornets to an 11th‑place finish, their best league position in four years, and quickly earned a reputation for maximizing limited resources.

It was at Burnley, however, that Dyche truly made his name. Appointed in 2012, he led the Clarets to promotion in the 2013/14 season, finishing second in the Championship. After relegation the following year, he masterminded an immediate return by winning the Championship title in 2015/16. From 2016 onwards, Dyche kept Burnley in the Premier League for six consecutive seasons, a remarkable feat given the club’s modest budget. The highlight came in 2017/18, when Burnley finished seventh in the Premier League, their highest top‑flight finish since 1974, and qualified for the UEFA Europa League. Over this period, Dyche built a reputation for defensive organisation, tactical discipline, and a strong sense of team spirit.

In 2023, Dyche was appointed Everton manager at a time when the club was battling relegation. He successfully kept them in the Premier League during the 2022/23 season, stabilizing the team amid financial and squad challenges. His ability to instill resilience and grind out results against stronger opposition once again came to the fore. By the end of the campaign, Everton had accumulated just enough points to survive, finishing 17th out of 20 teams in the Premier League table. It was a narrow escape, as they avoided relegation by only two points, with Leicester City and Leeds United dropping into the Championship instead.

Dyche’s managerial style has been defined by defensive solidity, with his teams notoriously difficult to break down and often thriving in low‑scoring encounters. His sides have consistently been among the most effective in the league at scoring from set pieces, and he has shown a knack for achieving results far beyond the financial resources at his disposal. He has also played a key role in player development, helping talents such as Kieran Trippier, Michael Keane, and Nick Pope progress into full internationals.

At Burnley, Dyche is widely regarded as the club’s most successful modern‑era manager, having transformed them into an established Premier League side against the odds. His legacy is built on longevity, stability, and the ability to maximize limited resources, qualities that Nottingham Forest now hope will translate into both domestic stability and European competitiveness.

While supporters will be watching closely on Thursday night as Dyche takes charge for the first time, hoping his return to the City Ground can spark a new era of resilience and success, players will feel his weight in a game ain’t for the fainthearted.