I was a Premier League star - now a prospective Man United owner pays my coaching fines

Didier Digard is a name that is met with a collective shrug on these shores following an unfortunate spell in England as a player with Middlesbrough.

Advertisement

After previously being linked with West Ham, Reading and Aston Villa during his time with Le Havre, Digard arrived via Paris Saint-Germain when he was signed by Boro for £4million.

And his boss Gareth Southgate, now England manager, regarded the midfielder as one of the hottest young talents in Europe.

Advertisement

"I'm very pleased that we've been able to bring Didier into the club," he said. "He is an exciting young talent. He is a good athlete and a strong tackler."

Unfortunately, despite making 27 appearances, his first season on Teesside saw the club relegated from the Premier League.

Short spells on the sidelines limited his involvement with Middlesbrough, something that worsened when Southgate was sacked as manager and replaced by Gordon Strachan, a boss whom Digard did not have a lot of time for due to the clear language barrier.

Speaking to L'Equipe, he said: "When I arrived in Middlesbrough, I was 22 years old, I was fighting to learn English, Gareth Southgate was the coach, it was fine.

Advertisement

Advertisement

"We went down, we restart the season, we are second, and I don't know what he took from them, they fired coach Southgate, who is now England coach. Gordon Strachan arrived, with a Scottish accent. I didn't understand anything.

"I signed in Nice because I understood absolutely nothing of what he was telling me. I can't even say if it was good or not, if it was English or not. It lasted almost two months.

"I had been in England for almost a year and a half, so I was starting to get by. But, honestly, I think he said anything. We were very good before he arrived and, with him, we only lost."

Advertisement

Digard's time at Middlesbrough ended in January 2010 when he joined Nice on an initial loan deal, before going on to make 165 appearances for the club over the next five years.

However, more injuries disrupted his playing days and stopped him from reaching his undoubted potential as France's next top midfield star.

But while Digard's playing days drifted away, little did he know that the most unexpected managerial opportunity was just around the corner.

Advertisement

After hanging up his boots, the ex-midfielder was handed the chance to coach Nice's Under-17s, working his way up to the role of reserve team manager in 2021.

Lucien Favre was the man in charge of Nice's first team, but after being sacked in January this year, Digard was handed the chance to lead the senior team by club owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the Ineos owner who is in contention to purchase Manchester United.

While a timescale wasn't placed on when a new permanent manager would be appointed, few expected Digard to be in charge for long, however a 6-1 victory in his first match in charge certainly turned heads.

Digard has some big names in his squad, included ex-Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey, Kaspar Schmeichel, Nicolas Pepe, Ross Barkley and Joe Bryan who are all now thriving thanks to the ex-Middlesbrough midfielder.

Advertisement

Since taking charge, Digard has led 12 matches for Nice's senior side, winning seven, drawing five and losing none.

Such has been the level of his success, Nice owner Ratcliffe has been happy to pay a £22,000 fine every matchday for naming a manager who doesn't hold his UEFA Pro Licence.

In the process, he's taken Nice up to seventh in the Ligue 1 table, as well as earning a spot in the Europa Conference League quarter-finals after seeing off Sheriff in the last 16.

Advertisement

And Digard is keen to remain in charge too.

Asked whether he wants to stay on, he replied, "It's normal to, isn't it? A young player who begins playing with the first team wants to play match after match.

"When you're offered a chance, you have to take it. If you don't want to, you're stupid. I was given this chance to coach Nice in Ligue 1. When I'm on the pitch, I want to win, and naturally, I want to stay. It's only logical."

It remains to be seen what Digard's long-term future will be, but given his unbeaten reign as Nice's interim head coach it's clear that the 36-year-old has the potential to be a top manager.

Advertisement

His playing career may not have gone exactly as planned, but Digard has all of the tools to get to the very top of the game.