Who is Gary O'Neil, the new manager of RC Strasbourg?
A former player in England, Gary O'Neil was appointed this Wednesday as the head coach of RC Strasbourg Alsace after the departure of Liam Rosenior. Learn more about Ligue 1's newest manager with our latest.
Out of a job since leaving Wolverhampton in December 2024, Gary O'Neil is set to take charge of his third top-flight club at RCSA, his first outside of England. A former pundit for Sky Sports and talkSPORT, he provided analysis for the BBC this season.
Gary O'Neil as a player:
Aged 42, Gary O'Neil was a professional player before becoming a coach. In the Premier League, the attacking midfielder made 214 appearances and scored 16 goals for Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, West Ham, and Norwich between 2003 and 2016. His first Premier League appearance was marked by a brace scored with his boyhood club against Leeds.
As a player, he won the First Division title (2002/03) with Portsmouth and achieved promotion to the Premier League with West Ham in 2012.
He was capped nine times at the England Under-21 level. In his final appearance, he captained England against a France team featuring Franck Ribéry and Alou Diarra (France won 2-1). Previously, he played in the FIFA U-20 World Cup with England.
In his final season as a player in 2018/19, the former midfielder was named Bolton's Player of the Year. He also received this distinction at Portsmouth in 2006.
Gary O'Neil appointed coach of Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace
Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace announces the appointment of Gary O'Neil as coach of the first team.
At the age of 42, Gary O'Neil has a strong experience in top-flight football. The former attacking midfielder… pic.twitter.com/YxYvaLYZ7H— Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace English (@RCSA_English) January 7, 2026
Gary O’Neil as a coach:
The English manager, with 88 Premier League appearances as a player, took his first steps as a coach at Liverpool, within the Reds' academy. In August 2020, after two seasons with the U18s alongside former Auxerre player Ki-Jana Hoever and Yasser Larouci (formerly of ESTAC Troyes), O'Neil became assistant coach of the club's U23 team.
His second experience was at Bournemouth, where he arrived as Jonathan Woodgate's assistant. He then served as interim manager at the age of 39, before being appointed permanent manager. O'Neil managed 37 matches at Bournemouth, successfully keeping the team in the Premier League in the 2022/23 season with a 15th-place finish.
Two months after his dismissal from Bournemouth, the British coach moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers. At Wolves, the new Strasbourg coach achieved a record of 20 wins, 11 draws, and 32 losses across all competitions. Under his leadership, the club finished the 2023/24 season in 14th place in the Premier League and also reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
Regarding his style? Jeanricner Bellegarde, a former Strasbourg player currently at Wolves, was interviewed by AlsaSports about the Alsatians' new coach: "He's a coach who likes to press high and play direct football. He's a coach who likes to take risks and knows how to adapt."
Finally, a sign of his reputation in England, rumors suggested he was on the shortlist of coaches to succeed Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool at the end of the 2023/24 season.
