Mark Robins
|
Robins (left) as manager of Coventry City in 2020 with assistant manager Adi Viveash | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mark Gordon Robins | ||
| Date of birth | 22 December 1969 | ||
| Place of birth | Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Stoke City (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1984–1988 | Manchester United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1988–1992 | Manchester United | 48 | (11) |
| 1992–1995 | Norwich City | 68 | (20) |
| 1995–1998 | Leicester City | 56 | (12) |
| 1996 | → Copenhagen (loan) | 6 | (4) |
| 1997 | → Reading (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 1998 | Ourense | 18 | (5) |
| 1998–1999 | Panionios | 13 | (1) |
| 1999 | → Manchester City (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 1999–2000 | Walsall | 40 | (6) |
| 2000–2003 | Rotherham United | 107 | (44) |
| 2003 | → Bristol City (loan) | 6 | (4) |
| 2003–2004 | Sheffield Wednesday | 15 | (3) |
| 2004–2005 | Burton Albion | 9 | (1) |
| Total | 393 | (111) | |
| International career | |||
| 1985 | England U16 | 9 | (3) |
| 1990 | England U21 | 6 | (7) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2007–2009 | Rotherham United | ||
| 2009–2011 | Barnsley | ||
| 2012–2013 | Coventry City | ||
| 2013–2014 | Huddersfield Town | ||
| 2014–2016 | Scunthorpe United | ||
| 2017–2024 | Coventry City | ||
| 2025– | Stoke City | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Mark Gordon Robins (born 22 December 1969) is an English football manager and former player who is the manager of EFL Championship club Stoke City. As a player, he was a striker and is best known for his time in the Premier League with Manchester United, Norwich City and Leicester City.
Robins began his career with Manchester United. During this period, he scored a goal against Nottingham Forest in a 1989–90 FA Cup tie that has subsequently been credited with "saving" manager Alex Ferguson's job at Old Trafford. After spending time with Norwich and Leicester, Robins went on to play for Reading, Manchester City, Walsall, Rotherham United, Bristol City and Sheffield Wednesday in the Football League. Robins also played across Europe during spells with Copenhagen, Ourense, and Panionios before finishing his career with Burton Albion in the Conference National.
In 2007, he became manager of Rotherham United, and joined Barnsley in the same capacity in 2009, before leaving in 2011, following differences between him and the board. In 2012, he became manager of Coventry City until 2013 when he joined Huddersfield Town. Robins left Huddersfield Town in 2014 by mutual agreement. A few months later he became manager of Scunthorpe United before leaving in 2016.
In March 2017, Robins rejoined Coventry City and a few months later won the EFL Trophy. In the 2017–18 season, Robins won the EFL League Two play-offs with the Sky Blues and were promoted to League One. After a solid eighth placed finish in League One in the 2018–19 season, Robins led Coventry to promotion to the EFL Championship as League One Champions in the 2019–20 season. He followed that up by guiding Coventry to a respectable 16th placed finish in the Championship in the 2020–21 season, and further improved upon this with a 12th placed finish in the 2021–22 season. In the 2022–23 season, Robins led Coventry to a fifth place finish in the Championship, qualifying for promotion play-offs. Coventry City met Luton Town at Wembley in the final, where they ultimately lost on penalties. In the 2023–24 season saw Robins lead Coventry to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 1987, where they met his former club Manchester United.
In 2024, Robins was awarded an honorary doctorate from Coventry University for his impact on both Coventry City and the area of Coventry itself.