The appointment of 31-year-old Fabian Hurzeler as Brighton boss has got us thinking about other young bosses who have managed in the Premier League.
The German will become the youngest permanent head coach ever to manage in the Premier League when he makes his bow in the Seagulls dugout at Everton on Saturday.
However, who are currently the youngest bosses to have managed a Premier League game?
Ryan Mason (Tottenham at 29 years and 312 days)
The former Spurs midfielder was placed in temporary charge of the north London club in April 2021 after the exit of Jose Mourinho. Mason won his first game 2-1 against Southampton.
He enjoyed a mixed spell in charge of the north London club, winning four and losing three of his seven games. His temporary spell ended in the summer.
However, Mason remained on Tottenham’s staff in various roles and had a second temporary stint as Spurs head coach in April 2023 following the exit of Italian head coach Antonio Conte.
Once again, he enjoyed mixed fortunes in his short spell in charge. Under the former England international, Tottenham won two, drew one and lost three of their games.
Mason remains the only head coach under the age of 30 to ever manage a Premier League team.
Attilio Lombardo (Crystal Palace at 32 years and 67 days)
The Italian was another asked to fill a head coach role temporarily in the Premier League, despite the fact that he was still playing. The Italian took charge of Crystal Palace on a temporary basis in March 1998, with his side routed to the bottom of the English top-flight table.
It would be an understatement to say it didn’t go well for the former Juventus star. He lost four out of his six matches in charge, including his first, which saw the Eagles suffer a 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa on 14th March 1998.
When Lombardo officially retired as a player, he went on to manage in the Italian lower leagues before taking up various coaching positions, most notably as the assistant at Manchester City and also the Italian national team.
Chris Coleman (Fulham at 32 years and 313 days)
The Welshman was initially given the Fulham job on a temporary basis after French legend Jean Tigana’s departure in April 2003.
Unlike some of his contemporaries, Coleman was relatively successful. In his five Premier League games in charge, Coleman guided the Cottagers to three victories, keeping the club from the English capital in the top flight.
Coleman was rewarded for his performance with a permanent contract in the summer.
On August 16th 2003, the Welshman became the youngest permanent boss of a Premier League team, as his charges recorded a 3-2 home win over Middlesbrough in his first game as the Cottagers’ full-time boss.
He stayed as Fulham boss until April 2007, when the club relieved him of his duties, with the club just above the relegation zone.
Coleman has enjoyed a long managerial career since his exit from Fulham. The former Wales international has managed Real Sociedad Coventry City, among other clubs, while also enjoying a five-year stint in charge of his national team from 2012 to 2017.
Gianluca Vialli (Chelsea at 33 years and 227 days)
Vialli stepped into the player-manager role after the Blues dismissed Ruud Gullit in February 1998. He enjoyed a successful career as Chelsea’s head coach, winning the FA Cup, League Cup, FA Charity Shield, The UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and the UEFA Super Cup.
He left the club in September 2000, having managed the Blues on 143 occasions and recording 76 wins during his tenure.
His only other managerial role was at Watford, where he managed from June 2001 until June 2002. The former Italian international then went into punditry and worked as a pundit until he passed away due to cancer in January 2023.
Andre Villas-Boas (Chelsea at 33 years and 301 days)
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Chelsea showed, with the appointment of Vialli and Gullit before him, that they were not scared to give a young manager a chance. In June 2011, the Blues appointed highly-rated young tactician Andre Villas-Boas as their head coach.
He had enjoyed an impressive rise in coaching, taking the same route as a previous Blues boss, Jose Mourinho, from Porto to Stamford Bridge.
The Portuguese head coach kicked off his career in the Chelsea dugout with a 0-0 draw at Stoke City. On March 4th 2012, the Blues sacked Villas-Boas and placed his former assistant, Roberto Di Matteo, in charge of the team. The Italian guided the team to the Champions League title in the same season.
Villas-Boas went on to manage Tottenham, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Shanghai SIPG and Marseille. When he left OM, he decided to retire from football management. At the time of writing this, he is the president of his former club Porto.
Ruud Gullit (Chelsea at 33 years and 352 days)
Before there was Vialli and Villas-Boas at Chelsea, Dutch legend Ruud Gullit occupied the head coach role at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues appointed the former Milan and Netherlands star in the summer of 1996 after Glenn Hoddle took the England job. He had joined the club the previous summer as a player. He continued to play after he was appointed Blues boss.
Gullit impressed in his early managerial days, guiding the club to the 1997 FA Cup, a victory that ended a 26-year trophy drought.
The victory saw Gullit make history, becoming the first black manager and overseas boss ever to win the FA Cup. He also helped the team finish sixth place in his debut campaign.
Chelsea sacked Gullit in February 1998, with the club flying high in second place in the Premier League table.
His dismissal was allegedly related to a disagreement with the club’s hierarchy. Chelsea chairman Ken Bates was quoted after his sacking as saying, “I didn’t like his arrogance – in fact, I never liked him.”
During his managerial career, the Dutchman also coached Newcastle, Feyenoord, La Galaxy, and Terek Grozny.