My dad was the last Arsenal manager before Wenger, now I’m making my own way in football in completely different role

THE son of former Arsenal manager Bruce Rioch is now creating his own legacy at a League One club.

Gregor Rioch, 48, joined Wigan Athletic as the club’s academy manager in 2013 following a two-year spell with Danish side Køge BK.

Gregor Rioch is now Wigan’s Sporting DirectorRex

Reuters

Gregor’s father, Bruce Rioch, managed Arsenal for one year before Arsene Wenger took over[/caption]

Having already spent time coaching Manchester City‘s Under-17’s and managing Coventry City‘s academy, he quickly hit the ground running.

The former defender completely transformed Wigan’s youth set-up, with several academy stars seamlessly transitioning into the first team.

In fact, since he took the helm over 40 homegrown players have made more than 500 first-team appearances for the club.

Rioch’s success saw him promoted to Sporting Director in August.

The 48-year-old has been at the centre of some significant transfers over the last six months, including the arrival of Matt Smith.

Smith left Arsenal as a free agent in June 2023 but agreed to join the Latics within just a few weeks.

Discussing the transition, the 23-year-old recently told The Athletic: “I was considering going abroad before joining Wigan because I’ve had three other loans in League One and the way I play, this division is tough.

“I had a meeting with the gaffer (Shaun Maloney) and Gregor Rioch who ran me through the plan for where they see Wigan going over the next few years, what the manager thinks of my game and the style he plays. I came out and said to my agent, ‘That’s where I want to go’.

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“It aligned with what I have been taught at Arsenal my whole footballing life. That has made the transition easier as it is rare in League One to have this set-up. It was a perfect fit for me and I feel at home.”

Smith also admitted that Rioch’s presence at the club made his decision easy.

He added: “He (Gregor) knows one of the coaches at Arsenal quite well who helps oversee the loans, Ken Gillard.

“It was my first time meeting him but all of my family support Arsenal so when I went home and told my dad, I was definitely only going one place then!”

Gregor’s father, Bruce, managed Arsenal for one season before Arsene Wenger took over in 1996.

He guided the Gunners to a fifth-place finish in the Premier League but was eventually sacked following a dispute with the board over transfer funds.

Rioch Sr, 76, also managed the likes of Millwall, Wigan and Middlesbrough in his managerial career.