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Meet the former Premier League star with four EFL managerial promotions now trying his hand in the National League
Simon Grayson has spent nearly 40 years in football and enjoyed some huge successes along the way.
He twice reached the Premier League as a player with Leicester City at Wembley and helped them to lift the League Cup in 1997.
As a manager, Grayson got Blackpool, Leeds United, Huddersfield Town and Preston North End promoted to the Championship.
Earlier this year, he led Lalitpur City FC to the Nepal Super League title – but the Yorkshireman is about to do something he has never done before.
Having taken the reins at National League outfit Hartlepool United, Grayson will manage a team outside of English football’s top four divisions for the first time.
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“That’s one of the things that attracted me to come here,” the vastly-experienced 55-year-old tells DAZN News, the home of the National league, streaming live matches from every round of the competition and highlights of every game in the league.
“I was out of my comfort zone in Nepal and managing Hartlepool in the National League is similar.
“But that’s exciting and wherever you’re managing in the world, you’re under pressure to win football matches and that’s why we do it.
“I’m really enjoying it and pre-season has gone well.
“When I arrived, we only had six or seven contracted players but that gave me free reign to go and sign who I wanted.
“I’ve been pleased with all our recruitment and we won our first five pre-season games, beating Leeds and Rangers XIs.
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“Everything could change in our opening game at Yeovil on Saturday, but I’m a positive person by nature and there’s a lot of optimism around the club.
“There have been a few issues behind the scenes, but this is a passionate club – in a football-mad region – who have underachieved in the last few years.
“It was not so long ago that Hartlepool reached the League One play-off final.
“We know that, if we do well, we can attract crowds of 6,000 to 7,000.
“People in this area work hard and they want their team to represent them as a community.”
In a division which looks set to be ultra-competitive again, bookies have Pools around seventh favourites for promotion.
Mark Hughes’ big-spending Carlisle United, Robbie Savage’s Forest Green Rovers and York City are the shortest prices.
Grayson crossed swords with Hughes and Savage as a player and is relishing doing so as a manager.
“Mark and Robbie were huge competitors on the pitch and will be no different on the touchline as well,” adds Grayson, who began his career at boyhood club Leeds before his legendary spell at Leicester and stints at Aston Villa, Blackburn and Blackpool.
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“Facing them shows how strong the EFL is and the knock-on effect of that with the big clubs in the National League and the managers they can attract.
“We do it because we’ve got passion to keep achieving and that’s what makes the National League so competitive.
“Carlisle have obviously dropped down but they have a huge budget, as do Forest Green, plus York have spent a lot of money in the last few years.
“Then you’ve got the likes of Rochdale and Southend, who have been in the EFL for many years, so it’s a great division.
“No disrespect to some League Two teams, but there are some much bigger National League in terms of fanbase, budgets and expectancy levels.
“But you have to earn the right to get out of the division – all of us – and there are plenty of younger coaches who are desperate to win promotion to the EFL as well.
“It’s a really competitive league on and off the field.”
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The acquisition of the likes of Alex Reid, Danny Johnson, Jermaine Francis, Jay Benn and Reiss McNally has delighted Grayson.
He adds: “I’ve been really pleased. One of the assurances I had from the owner (Raj Singh) was that I could go and sign the players I wanted.
“He’s kept his word and we’ve gone and got nearly all our players on long-term contracts.
“Many of them have played in the EFL or been successful at National League clubs.
“Alex Reid scored a lot of goals for Wealdstone on loan from Oldham last season, so he knows the division.
“We’ve got a younger group than the club has had for a while, but there’s experience too.
“Danny Johnson has come back to Hartlepool this summer, having scored over 200 goals in his career.
“So we’ve signed experience and youth – players with different characteristics and qualities.”
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Pools finished 11th last season, eight points outside the play-offs, and Grayson was appointed in June as successor to Anthony Limbrick.
“I’ve come here to try and take Hartlepool United into the play-offs and I think that’s an achievable target,” Grayson declared.
“That’s certainly my ambition and I wouldn’t be happy if we weren’t setting that kind of target.”
Grayson has watched plenty of National League football as his son Joe, 26, plays for Gateshead.
Hartlepool travel to Gateshead in late September and Grayson says with a smile: “That could be an intriguing family affair.
“Joe just wants to play as many games as he can and it’ll be interesting if we do come up against each other.”
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Grayson may be renowned for his promotion successes but it has not always been plain sailing.
He was sacked by Sunderland after just 18 games in October 2017 and had short spells at Bradford City, Blackpool again and Fleetwood Town.
Then came an 18-month stint in charge of Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League before his title success with Lalitpur in Nepal earlier this year.
“I have an inner desire to prove people wrong,” admits Grayson.
“People might look at my last few jobs in England and think it’s not worked out.
“But they don’t always know the circumstances managers are working under.
“Sunderland, for example, was the right club but at the wrong time for me.
“However, you don’t survive in football for nearly 40 years without that drive to be successful.
“I’ve had it all my career and, you ask any of my family, they will tell you that I never want to lose at anything I do.
“Sometimes that can be detrimental to family relationships but I’m fortunate that I’ve won quite a lot as a player and manager.
“I still have that hunger and desire for more success – I proved that to myself by going out to Nepal and winning the league.
“Now I’m ready to prove it again at Hartlepool United.”
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