EFL club appoint England youth defender in first permanent manager role

Northampton Town have appointed former England youth international Chris Hogg as their new manager.

The 41-year-old joins the fourth tier side on a two-year deal and will be aided by ex-Cobblers defender Chris Doig as his assistant.

Anna Gowthorpe

Northampton statement on Hogg’s appointment

“Chris Hogg was outstanding throughout the recruitment process,” Northampton chairman Kelvin Thomas said.

“Not only in terms of how he presented to us, but in terms of the feedback we received from across the game about Chris. People who have worked with him and who have come across him have spoken very highly of Chris and how they expect him to go on and become a successful manager. 

“We undertook a very detailed and thorough recruitment process and spoke to different types of managers, including some candidates who are in employment elsewhere, but we believe Chris is an excellent choice for us.

“Chris is a leader, someone who commands respect and a very good communicator. He has a lot of attributes a good manager needs.

“In terms of Chris Doig, he is a very popular and well-respected figure following his time as a player with the club and he has gone on to become an experienced coach. We welcome Chris and Chris to the club.”

Cobblers technical director Colin Calderwood was equally delighted at having secured Hogg’s services as he described the new manager as a ‘bright, young inventive, driven and focused individual’.

“He has an excellent body of work behind him, he has not often been at the forefront of that work publicly because of the roles he has had but he is recognised and highly respected within the game,” Calderwood said.

“I know, from being in opposition, his teams are always well organised, disciplined, hard working, structured and most importantly, that have been dangerous going forward and posed an attacking threat.”

Hogg’s appointment at Sixfields marks the first senior managerial role in his coaching career.

The former England youth international has previously worked as an assistant manager at Ipswich Town, MK Dons, Oxford United, Bristol City and Norwich City.

Getty

With the exception of Ipswich, Hogg was an assistant to Liam Manning at each of those clubs.

The fact Manning brought Hogg with him at each of those stops underlines how highly thought of the 41-year-old is in coaching circles.

Hogg: Fans will see a team that ‘fights’

But Hogg now gets the chance to shine on his own, and he gave the Shoe Army a taste of what they can expect from his team next term.

“The work has already started to try and deliver a successful season,” Hogg said.

“The teams I have coached in the past have placed great value on possession of the ball, to dominate opponents, and I still value those traits, but let me be clear, this is a results business and I have always wanted to win.

“We will change the mentality and build up the connection between the players and the supporters.

Shutterstock Editorial

“We want fans to show up in their numbers and see a team that fights, that plays with purpose, to attack and entertain, but also has the much needed adaptability to be hard to beat and successful in the coming season and beyond.”

Hogg takes over from Kevin Nolan, who was axed as Cobblers boss on March 9.

Northampton will begin the 2026/27 campaign in League Two having finished 24th in the third tier, winning just nine of their 46 fixtures.

The last-place finish marked the end of Northampton’s three-year stay in League One having been promoted at the end of 2022/23 under Australian coach Jon Brady, who is now at Port Vale.