Gregor Rioch Explained

Gregor Rioch
Birth Date:24 June 1975
Birth Place:Sutton Coldfield, England
Position:Defender
Currentclub:Wigan Athletic (Academy Manager)
Youthclubs1:Luton Town
Years1:1993–1995
Years2:1993
Years3:1995–1996
Years4:1996–1999
Years5:1999–2001
Years6:2001–2002
Years7:2002–2003
Years8:2003–2004
Years9:2003
Years10:2004
Clubs1:Luton Town
Clubs2:Barnet (loan)
Clubs3:Peterborough United
Clubs4:Hull City
Clubs5:Macclesfield Town
Clubs6:Shrewsbury Town
Clubs7:Northwich Victoria
Clubs8:Shrewsbury Town
Clubs9:Northwich Victoria (loan)
Clubs10:Leigh RMI
Caps1:0
Caps2:6
Caps3:19
Caps4:106
Caps5:64
Caps6:49
Caps7:38
Caps8:19
Caps9:7
Caps10:0
Caps11:2
Goals1:0
Goals2:0
Goals3:0
Goals4:10
Goals5:6
Goals6:2
Goals7:3
Goals8:0
Goals9:0
Goals10:0
Goals11:0
Totalcaps:308
Totalgoals:21
Manageryears1:2004–2006
Managerclubs1:Køge BK

Gregor Rioch (born 24 June 1975) is an English football coach and former player. He is the academy manager of Wigan Athletic. His father is former Scotland International and Arsenal F.C. manager Bruce Rioch.

Playing career

Born in Sutton Coldfield, England, Gregor Rioch started his football career as an apprentice at Luton Town, During this time he joined Barnet on loan where he made his league debut at the age of 18 in a 4–2 defeat to Leyton Orient. He moved to Peterborough United in 1995, before joining Hull City a year later and becoming the club captain at the age of 22. After three years with the Tigers he joined Macclesfield Town, under the management of Sammy McIlroy and Gil Prescott. Rioch left the Silkmen on transfer deadline day in 2001 and joined Kevin Ratcliffe at Shrewsbury Town. He spent 18 months at the Salop and was a key player during the 2001–02 season that just missed out on a play-off place in the last game of the season.

Rioch joined Northwich Victoria in 2002–03, before returning to Shrewsbury Town a year later for second spell under a new management regime of Jimmy Quinn and Dave Cooke who were previously in charge at Northwich Victoria. Rioch played 19 games for Shrewsbury Town that got promotion from the Conference back into the Football League via the play-offs.

Rioch returned to Northwich Victoria for a second spell in March 2003, this time on loan. He took the final game of the season as a caretaker manager following the sacking of Shaun Teale. Rioch finished an 11-year playing career with a short spell with Leigh RMI before going into management abroad.

Scotland selected Rioch for one of their youth sides, but he was ineligible to play for the national team because neither Greg nor his parents were born in Scotland, even though his father had captained Scotland.[1]

Coaching career

Rioch obtained a UEFA A licence coach at the age of 23 and became the holder of the UEFA Pro Licence coaching award in July 2011.

On leaving Leigh RMI, he was appointed manager of Danish club Køge BK. He spent two years as the youngest manager in Denmark at the age of 29 before returning to England in 2006 to coach Manchester City's under-17s, then their reserves. After only a year, he left to become the academy manager of Coventry City[2] in 2007 and has gone on to develop a number of talented players for the club's first team.[3]

On 10 December 2013, it was announced that Rioch has joined Wigan Athletic as the club's new Academy Manager, and will be responsible for the club's young players between the ages of 9 and 21 years of age.

Notes and References

  1. News: SFA go back to schooling rule in talent search . . 5 March 2011 . 5 March 2011.
  2. News: Academy Manager – Gregor Rioch. 24 February 2009. Coventry City. 22 May 2009.
  3. News: Coventry City win Category Two status in restructure . 15 March 2023 . BBC Sport . 13 July 2012.