Will Still: From Football Manager to Ligue 1 Coach

Will Still’s career path—from playing Football Manager to managing in Ligue 1—defies conventional coaching trajectories. His unusual stint at Southampton and return to France with Auxerre have made him one of the most talked-about young managers in Europe, a reminder that unconventional routes often produce compelling narratives.

Full name: William Still · Date of birth: 14 October 1992 (age 33) · Current club (as of 2026): Auxerre (Ligue 1) · Previous club: Southampton FC · Known for: Rise from Football Manager video game to professional management · Nationality: English

Six key facts about Will Still, drawn from verified sources, provide a quick reference for his career.

Who is Will Still?

Early life and background

• William Still was born on 14 October 1992 in England (Wikipedia)
• He holds English nationality and has no known family ties to football management.

Entry into coaching

• Still’s path into coaching began with the Football Manager video game series, which he played obsessively as a teenager (beIN SPORTS)
• He later took a coaching course and worked his way up through the lower leagues of Belgian football before landing a role at Reims.

The implication: Still’s origin story challenges the traditional football coaching pipeline, proving that a self-taught, data-driven approach can open doors at the highest level.

What is Will Still’s nationality?

Place of birth and citizenship

• Will Still was born in England and is English by nationality (Wikipedia)
• Despite managing in France and Belgium, he has never represented any other country.

The pattern: Still is one of a small number of English managers working abroad in top European leagues, a group that includes only a handful of names.

Who does Will Still manage?

Current role at Auxerre

• Still was appointed head coach of Auxerre in June 2026, replacing Christophe Pelissier (Goal)
• He signed a two-year contract with an option for an additional season (Goal)
• Auxerre plays in Ligue 1, France’s top division.

Previous role at Southampton

• Still managed Southampton FC from May 2025 until his sacking on 2 November 2025 (Southampton FC)
• He signed a three-year contract with the Championship club in May 2025 (The Athletic (sports journalism outlet))
• His first competitive match was a 2-1 home win over Wrexham on 9 August 2025, according to Wikipedia
• He won four of his 16 matches in charge, accumulating 12 points from 13 league games (The Athletic)

The trade-off: Still’s time at Southampton was brief and ended in disappointment, but it gave him valuable experience in English football that he now brings back to France.

What is the story behind Will Still and Football Manager?

Origin story

• Still has openly credited the Football Manager video game with sparking his interest in coaching tactics and team management (beIN SPORTS)
• He started playing the game as a child and later used it to experiment with formations and scouting.

Career progression from virtual to real management

• Still’s first real coaching job was at Belgian club Lierse, where he worked as a video analyst.
• He later became assistant manager at Reims before being promoted to head coach in 2022, becoming the youngest manager in Europe’s top five leagues at the time (beIN SPORTS)
• After Reims, he managed Lens, then moved to Southampton, and now Auxerre.

Why this matters: Still’s journey from a computer game to managing in Ligue 1 is not just a novelty — it highlights how modern football increasingly values analytical thinking and self‑education over traditional coaching badges.

Why did Will Still leave Southampton?

Departure reason

• Southampton sacked Still on 2 November 2025 after a 2-0 home defeat to Preston North End (Southampton FC)
• At the time, the club was three points above the Championship relegation zone (Sky Sports (UK sports broadcaster))
• The club statement said Still, along with assistants Rubén Martinez, Clément Lemaitre, and Carl Martin, left the club (Southampton FC)
• A Reddit thread on r/soccer reported that the parting was mutual, but no official confirmation of the exact reason exists beyond the sacking.

“Southampton parting ways with Will Still after just five months in charge.”

— Reddit post (r/soccer, community discussion)

The catch: Still’s stint at Southampton was too short to draw lasting conclusions about his ability in English football, but the results — four wins in 16 matches — were below what the club expected after investing in a three-year contract.

Is Will Still married?

Will Still’s marital status is not publicly confirmed in the available sources. No verified information about a wife or partner exists in official records or reputable media reports. The ambiguity around his personal life remains one of the gaps in public knowledge about the manager.

Does Will Still have a brother?

No mention of a brother appears in the provided sources. Will Still’s family background is limited to his own career narrative; siblings are not part of the public record. The lack of public information about Still’s family contrasts with the extensive coverage of his career.

For Will Still, the immediate challenge is clear: prove that his rapid rise from a video game to Ligue 1 was not a fluke. At Auxerre, he gets a second chance to build a reputation in French football. For English managers looking to break into the continental game, his path — unconventional, self‑taught, and resilient — may become a blueprint worth studying.

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