‘It’s only me that can get in the way of me’ – Charlton’s Dean Holden excited at no limitations to how high he can fly as a manager

Dean Holden is excited at the potential of where his managerial career can go.

The Charlton Athletic boss saw his playing career badly disrupted by serious injuries.

But Holden, 43, still made 427 appearances in 16 years at first-team level, starting on the books of tomorrow’s opponents Bolton Wanderers.
A future away from football was never part of his considerations.

“I did my coaching badges early, because I knew I wanted to stay in the game,” Holden told the South London Press. “I’d trained to be a professional referee. I was having a mid-life crisis at that point, f*** knows what I was thinking! If a coaching opportunity didn’t come up that was the next best thing.

“I was never famous enough as a player to go into media. I gained a lot from the referees’ course and the coaching helped me become a better player, initially, and then I just got a buzz for it.

“I broke my leg three times as a player – I never got a free-kick for any of them. I lost five-and-a-half-years of my career.

“I came through at Bolton, when they were in the Championship and on the verge of the play-offs. I broke my leg and I was out for 18 months.

“I came back from that and went up to the SPL. I was in the Northern Ireland squad, and played [for Falkirk] against Celtic, live on Setanta. All the family were at my dad’s house – it was two days after my first son was born.

“Big Steve McManus [made the tackle] and I was out 14 months. They had to rebreak my leg after nine months of recovery, reset it and start again.

“I kept coming back – that’s why I keep talking now about getting off the canvas. I played until I was 35. So I absolutely wrung out the sponge.

“I maximised my career, based on the situations that came before me. Purely and simply because of my love of football – my drive and determination to prove people wrong.”

Holden started coaching at Walsall, managed then by Dean Smith. He was still playing but was involved in staff meetings and also helping to plan sessions.

“I knew there was nothing going to stop me getting to a higher level,” said Holden, who has had short spells as boss at Oldham in 2015 and a 12-month stint with Bristol City.

“There were things that stopped me as a player – but it’s only me that can get in the way of me. [Jose] Mourinho never really kicked a ball, did he? He became one of the best. Sir Alex Ferguson probably didn’t have a brilliant [playing career]. Neither did [Arsene] Wenger, when you compare him to [Pep] Guardiola. Jurgen Klopp, he’s another who didn’t have a stellar career.

“It’s a totally different business. You’ve got to make decisions under pressure and be a good communicator, that’s the biggest passion I’ve got for it all.

“I was the captain at pretty much every club I played for and I was fine having my say at half time and the end of the game. In team meetings I’d lose my rag sometimes. But the first ever session I took as a coach – when everyone is looking at you – it’s different. Players sniff you in five minutes.

“When you get that connection with a player then I swear there is no bigger buzz.

“You work on something in training and they put it into practise in a game, or you’re watching a game at the weekend and a player texts you and says ‘did you see that in the Premier League?’.

“I always think of that teacher I had at school. He probably wasn’t the best ever teacher, but why did I connect with them? What was it about their personality that got the best out of me? I love being the so-called number one because you’re in total control of setting the environment.

“I absolutely loved it at Bristol City, up until the final couple of weeks. You’re the front man.

“Away from football my wife [Danielle Nicholls] is a TV presenter. She’s loud. I’ve always been the man in the shadows.

“As a manager you have got to be talking a lot more, which I’m absolutely fine with now.”

Charlton can make it four League One wins in a row for the first time since November 2020, when they chained together six straight victories, if they see off Bolton at The Valley.

Holden picks out the 3-1 defeat to Oxford United at the end of December as an example of how “you can effect the environment with your personality”.

“The half-time there was really important,” he said. “The tactics board….I’ve not seen it since. Just f*** off [imitates booting it]. It was only game two (after he succeeded Ben Garner as manager).

“You’re getting to know me – I’m very glass half-full. But I showed my teeth in game two at half-time. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. It was an early reset of standards -I’m not accepting that.

“The following couple of days after that we addressed it, really calmly. We went through the process and I spoke about myself and the situation I’d been in previously. It was really open. We went to Portsmouth [on New Year’s Day] and won.

“As soon as you can understand what makes people tick then you’re halfway there.

“That’s why it’s been important to win early on, like we’ve done, alongside getting my feet under the table.

“The atmosphere around here is completely different. Why? Results, obviously help. Everyone wakes up in a better mood when they’ve won.

“We’re starting to get a bit of togetherness, which is important.”

MAIN PICTURE: PAUL EDWARDS