As Gareth Southgate steered England into the World Cup Finals Thursday night, on the other side of the planet his countryman, Gary White, marked his first game in charge of Chinese Taipei with a 4-2 friendly win over Mongolia. Next up is Bahrain in an Asian Cup qualification game Tuesday.
Never heard of him? White's playing career started at the non-too-glamourous Bognor Regis Town. It ended one club later at Australian side Freemantle City.
Undeterred, his managerial career began as boss of the British Virgin Islands national team at the tender age of 24. The young coach followed his stint there by spending just shy of a decade in the Caribbean in charge of the Bahamas, before a host of other positions behind the scenes in the US.
National team management once again came knocking in the form of managing Guam, before a year at Chinese League One side Shanghai Shenxin. We felt it was remiss not to reach out to the most un-talked about British manager on the national team scene to hear about his unique and remarkable journey...
You are a long way from Bognor Regis Town. Tell us about those humble beginnings...
After being released as a youth player from Southampton, Bognor took me in. It was well known for youth development, and still is. I had a great time there. There were some great players in our group; the one that really made it was Simon Rodger who spent most of his career at Crystal Palace. It was from Bognor where I got taken on a two-year contract to play in Western Australia [and Freemantle City] so I really have a lot to owe to the club in terms of my football foundations.
How did the move to the British Virgin Islands come about?
It really is a fairytale story. I was a 24-year-old who had made a decision that I wanted to be the best coach in the world. I faxed every nation’s football federation in the world and the British Virgin Islands offered me a job. Looking back on it now, it sounds crazy, but at that time I was just focused on getting a coaching job, wherever it was.
Were you intimidated being a national team coach at just 24 years of age?
When I arrived in the British Virgin Islands I could see some people looking at me as this young, fresh-faced guy, but from the start I made sure I did everything with a lot of confidence. That way people were more focused on what I was telling them and themselves.
By the time I left they had reached their highest ever FIFA Ranking. And after I left, managers came and went, but none ever took them above what my team and I achieved.
You then took over the Bahamas and took them to their highest ever FIFA ranking of 138th in the world. Impressive given it was the Bahamas. How did you manage that?
Managers these days don't have time. It's all about instant success. But at the Bahamas I had time to learn and make mistakes. I was a student of the game and during my time there I did all I could to learn and improve. I ended up taking them 65 places up the FIFA Ranking in my time there, so in terms of overall achievement, we did really well as a group.
How did you end up moving out to Asia with Guam, and then Shanghai Shenxin?
I was in the US working with the MLS team, Seattle Sounders, and the management at Guam came to me for advice. They obviously liked what they heard as the next thing was they had flown me out to Guam and offered me the Head Coach job of their national team.
Two years before I became the Head Coach at Shanghai Shenxin, the club's management reached out to me and we just stayed in touch. After I got my UEFA Pro License, Shenxin's management called me with a job offer.
They were down in the relegation places at the time and it was job I was happy to take. My wife is Chinese and we were ready to come back to China to raise our son.
What are your biggest memories at Shenxin?
I had a great time there, but in terms of memories there are two main ones. Firstly, the records that we broke that season: most goals scored in a season, most goals scored in a home game and others.
But having come in to a team after the transfer window where I couldn't sign any new players, I had to work within the squad and the youth players that I had there. Knowing that I had the ability to identify and get the best from a group of youth and experience really gave me a lot of self-belief.
You also took on Tianjin Quanjian and their coach, former Italian World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro...
The victory that season over Tianjin was obviously special. Nobody got near them that season, they were dominating. Nobody expected us to do anything so when we did beat them it was really very special for the players and the fans. That night they knew they could achieve anything.
How did the Chinese Taipei job come about?
As an Englishman in Shanghai, I ended up meeting Harry Spencer in his restaurant over a Christmas dinner with my wife. Over the next year we crossed paths several times in football and it was evident that we were a good match.
It was just about our shared love of football and good timing. Sammy Bowen and him run First Pick Group, and they are full of drive. We've just stuck up a good team.
A good start at Chinese Taipei with the win over Mongolia. What are your aspirations for the team there?
I am taking over the team half way through the qualifying for the Asia Cup 2019. The immediate target is to qualify. The longer term target is to take the team into the top 100 in the FIFA Rankings, where they've never been. But really it's about hitting the ground running and motivating the players to fulfill their undoubted potential.
So, after such a varied career, where does Gary White see himself in ten years time?
I've always said I want to manage the England team. So one day I want do it for my own country. Along the way I will look to manage in a top European league.
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