Ricky Sbragia

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Ricky Sbragia

| image =

| caption =

| fullname = Richard Sbragia{{cite book |last=Hugman |first=Barry J. |title=The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–2005 |publisher=Queen Anne Press |year=2005 |page=547 |isbn=1-85291-665-6 }}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|5|26|df=y}}

| birth_place = Lennoxtown, Scotland

| height = {{height|ft=6|in=0}}{{cite book |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 |editor-first=Peter |editor-last=Dunk |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |date=1987 |page=[https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00lond/page/408 408] |isbn=978-0-356-14354-5 |url=https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball00lond/page/408}}

| position = Defender

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 = Rangers

| youthyears2 = |youthclubs2 = Glasgow Amateurs

| youthyears3 = 1972–1974 |youthclubs3 = Birmingham City

| years1 = 1974–1978 |clubs1 = Birmingham City |caps1 = 15 |goals1 = 1

| years2 = 1975–1976 |clubs2 = → Morton (loan) |caps2 = 4 |goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1978–1980 |clubs3 = Walsall |caps3 = 77 |goals3 = 4

| years4 = 1980–1982 |clubs4 = Blackpool |caps4 = 26 |goals4 = 1

| years5 = 1982–1987 |clubs5 = York City |caps5 = 149 |goals5 = 7

| years6 = 1985 |clubs6 = → Darlington (loan) |caps6 = 6 |goals6 = 0

| totalcaps = 277 |totalgoals = 13

| manageryears1 = 2002–2005 |managerclubs1 = Manchester United Reserves

| manageryears2 = 2008–2009 |managerclubs2 = Sunderland

| manageryears3 = 2011–2012 |managerclubs3 = Scotland U17

| manageryears4 = 2012–2015 |managerclubs4 = Scotland U19

| manageryears5 = 2015–2016 |managerclubs5 = Scotland U21

| manageryears6 = 2016–2017 |managerclubs6 = Scotland U19

| manageryears7 = 2017–2019 |managerclubs7 = Manchester United U23

}}

Richard Sbragia (born 26 May 1956) is a Scottish football coach and former player.

His playing career, mainly in the English lower leagues began at Birmingham City, Walsall, Blackpool, York City and a loan spell at Darlington. Sbragia had a brief spell in his homeland with a loan spell at Morton during his spell at Birmingham.

He has an extensive coaching career, having had spells at Manchester United, Bolton and Sunderland, where he had a brief spell as manager. He followed this by joining the Scottish Football Association, having head coach roles at Scotland U17, Scotland U19 and Scotland U21 teams.

Playing career

Sbragia was born in Lennoxtown, East Dunbartonshire and is of Italian descent.{{cite book |last1=Jarred |first1=Martin |last2=Windross |first2=Dave |title=Citizens and Minstermen, A Who's Who of York City FC 1922–1997 |publisher=Citizen Publications |year=1997 |page=89 |chapter=Football League Players |isbn=0-9531005-0-2 }} He was raised in the Castlemilk housing scheme in Glasgow, and attended Grange Secondary School and played in youth teams with Jimmy Calderwood who also became a footballer and later a manager.{{cite news|url=https://www.scotsman.com/sport/sunderland_warming_to_humble_scot_sbragia_1_1152968|title=Sunderland warming to humble Scot Sbragia|newspaper=The Scotsman|date=22 December 2008|access-date=17 February 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/ricky-sbragia-would-be-a-great-choice-1079180|title=Ricky Sbragia would be a great choice as the new Motherwell boss, says pal Jimmy Calderwood|newspaper=Daily Record|date=26 December 2010|access-date=17 February 2018}}

He started his career with Birmingham City as an apprentice in June 1972 (a year after Calderwood made the same move) and signed as a professional at the club in May 1974, making his debut during the 1974–75 season. He joined Morton on loan in the Scottish Football League during the 1975–76 season and made four appearances.{{cite web |title=Greenock Morton : 1946/47 – 2007/08 |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/morton/morton.html |publisher=Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database |access-date=27 December 2008 }} He was unable to establish himself in the first team at Birmingham and after making 15 appearances and scoring one goal, he joined Walsall in October 1978 for a fee of £15,000. He won promotion with Walsall in the 1979–80 season after the team finished second in the Fourth Division, before making a move to Third Division side Blackpool for £35,000 in July 1980.

After making 26 appearances and scoring one goal during two seasons at Blackpool, he was signed up by Denis Smith at York City in August 1982. His debut came on the opening day of the 1982–83 season on 28 August 1982 in a 1–1 with Torquay United at Bootham Crescent.{{cite book |last=Batters |first=Dave |title=York City The Complete Record |publisher=The Breedon Books Publishing Company Limited |year=2008 |pages=358–359 |chapter=Season Statistics |isbn=978-1-85983-633-0 }} He finished the season as an ever-present with 52 appearances in all competitions and scored a goal in a 2–2 draw against Halifax Town. He struck up a partnership with John MacPhail in defence during the 1983–84 season, when York won the Fourth Division with 101 points. He scored York's equaliser against Liverpool in the FA Cup fifth round on 20 February 1985,{{cite book |last=Batters |title=York City The Complete Record |page=362 }} which set up a lucrative replay at Anfield. Sbragia suffered from a back injury during this match and had surgery on a spinal disc herniation. He joined Darlington on loan in August 1985 and made six appearances for the team. At the end of his playing career, he played one game for Belfast side Linfield in an exhibition match against Glentoran, where he went on to score two goals.{{citation needed|date=March 2009}}

Coaching and managerial career

He retired from playing in 1987 and commenced his coaching career with York as youth-team coach and obtained his Football Association coaching badge in May 1990. He led the youth team to the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup for the first time in the 1992–93 season. He took over as youth-team coach at Sunderland in 1994 and was later promoted to reserve team coach.{{cite web |title=Sbragia rejoins Sunderland |url=http://www.safc.com/news/?page_id=13674 |publisher=Sunderland A.F.C. |access-date=27 December 2008 }} He moved to Manchester United as reserve team coach on 20 November 2002,{{cite news |title=Ferguson in coaching shake-up |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/2494393.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=20 November 2002 |access-date=27 December 2008 }} where he built up a successful reserve side, nurturing the fledgling talents of Kieran Richardson and Darren Fletcher, amongst others. He was appointed as first-team coach of Bolton Wanderers on 10 October 2005.{{cite news |title=Sbragia leaves Man Utd for Bolton |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bolton_wanderers/4282444.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=11 October 2005 |access-date=21 December 2008 }} After the departure of Sam Allardyce from Bolton on 29 April 2007, Sammy Lee was appointed as manager of Bolton, with Sbragia retaining his position as first-team coach alongside Jimmy Phillips and Gary Speed.{{cite web |title=Lee's New Management Structure Revealed |url=http://www.bwfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/General/0,,1004~1020466,00.html |publisher=Bolton Wanderers F.C. |date=3 May 2007 |access-date=13 March 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212204357/http://www.bwfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/General/0,,1004~1020466,00.html |archive-date=12 December 2008 }}

Sbragia rejoined Sunderland's coaching staff in November 2007,{{cite news |title=Ricky Joins The Black Cats |url=http://www.bwfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/General/0,,1004~1174681,00.html |publisher=Bolton Wanderers F.C. |date=23 November 2007 |access-date=24 November 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213081842/http://www.bwfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/General/0,,1004~1174681,00.html |archive-date=13 December 2007 }} and was appointed as caretaker manager following the departure of Roy Keane on 4 December 2008.{{cite news |title=Keane and Sunderland part company |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/7764671.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=4 December 2008 |access-date=4 December 2008 }} He took charge of the team for their match against Manchester United, which was lost 1–0.{{cite news |first=Andrew |last=McKenzie |title=Man Utd 1–0 Sunderland |url=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7748461.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=6 December 2008 |access-date=6 December 2008 }} This was followed up with a 4–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion and a 4–1 win at Hull City, although Sbragia remained coy over the possibility of taking over permanently.{{cite news |title=Sbragia coy over permanent role |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/7793865.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=20 December 2008 |access-date=21 December 2008 }} He was appointed as manager on a permanent basis on 27 December on an 18-month contract.{{cite news |title=Sbragia appointed Sunderland boss |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/7801108.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=27 December 2008 |access-date=27 December 2008 }} On 24 May 2009, after guiding Sunderland to Premier League survival on the final day of the season, Sbragia resigned as manager of the club.{{cite news |title=Sbragia resigns from Sunderland |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/8066360.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=25 May 2009 |access-date=25 May 2009 }} He remained at Sunderland as chief scout, a post which he held until April 2011.{{cite news |title=Sbragia departs Black Cats |url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_6887713,00.html |publisher=Sky Sports |date=21 April 2011 |access-date=25 April 2011}}

Sbragia was appointed head coach of the Scotland national under-17 team in August 2011.{{cite news|title=Exclusive Stewart Regan interview|url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=278&newsCategoryID=3&newsID=8364|publisher=Scottish Football Association|date=26 August 2011|access-date=26 August 2011}} He was moved up with the Scotland national under-17 team to coach the Scotland national under-19 team for the 2012–13 season. Sbragia took temporary charge of the Scotland national under-21 team in November 2014.{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29900310 |title=Scotland: Billy Stark 'steps down' as under-21 coach |publisher=BBC Sport |date=4 November 2014 |access-date=4 November 2014}} Sbragia took the Scotland national under-21 team job full-time on 12 August 2015.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/33885930 |title=Ricky Sbragia is new Scotland Under-21 head coach |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=12 August 2015}} He left this position following a 4–0 defeat by Ukraine under-21s in September 2016.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37294399 |title=Scotland U21: Coach Ricky Sbragia makes way for Scot Gemmill |website=BBC Sport |date=7 September 2016 |access-date=7 September 2016}}

On 7 July 2017, Sbragia returned to Manchester United as manager of the club's Under-23 side after 12 years away.{{Cite web |title=United appoint Ricky Sbragia |url=http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Football-News/2017/Jul/ricky-sbragia-rejoins-manchester-united-for-appointment-as-under-23s-manager.aspx |website=ManUtd.com |publisher=Manchester United |date=7 July 2017 |access-date=7 July 2017 }} On 21 May 2019, he left the club.{{cite web |title=Manchester United under-23 coach Ricky Sbragia leaves club as summer shake-up begins |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/05/22/manchester-united-under-23-coach-ricky-sbragia-leavesclub-summer/ |first=James |last=Ducker |work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London |date=22 May 2019 |access-date=6 November 2019}}

Statistics

=Manager=

{{updated|24 May 2009}}{{cite web |title=Ricky Sbragia's managerial career |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/managers/manager.sd?manager_id=2136 |work=Soccerbase |publisher=Racing Post |access-date=24 May 2009 }}

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
Team	Nation	From	class="unsortable"\|To	Matches	Won	Drawn	Lost	Win %
align=left\|Sunderland \|{{ENG}} \|align=left\|4 December 2008 \|align=left\|24 May 2009 {{WDL\|26\|6\|7\|13}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"

Team

Nation

From

class="unsortable"|To

Matches

Won

Drawn

Lost

Win %

align=left|Sunderland

|{{ENG}}