ISL: Jamshedpur FC set to sign English manager Scott Cooper

The manager is a respected figure in Thai football.

Jamshedpur FC are set to sign English manager Scott Cooper, Khel Now can confirm. A source close to the development informed Khel Now, "Jamshedpur FC are after Scott Cooper, an English manager. They are in advanced talks with him. Everything is verbally agreed between both parties, and only official paperwork is remaining, which should be done soon."

The source added, "Scott Cooper is approached by another ISL team too, but he prefers Jamshedpur FC's setup over the other team. Also, the club have liked Cooper's profile because he is more than manager, he is known to build the project."

Scott Cooper was in talks with an ISL club last season as well. And currently, a few other ISL clubs are also in contention to bag his services.

Doubts were there whether the club would continue with Aidy Boothroyd after a dismal ISL 2022-23 season. But after the loss against Bengaluru FC in the Hero Super Cup semi-final, it has become more apparent that Jamshedpur FC will now move in a different direction and hire someone new at the helm.

With numerous young lads and the academy project running well at Jamshedpur FC, Cooper is expected to be the perfect candidate for the job. "Under his coaching, nine players from Buriram United got a call to the Thailand national team," the source further added.

Scott Cooper's career

Starting as a manager at Montserrat in 2004, Cooper has been across many countries and numerous clubs. In 2011, he was appointed as the youth team coach as Leicester City. But after a year, he left the club to sign for Buriram United, where he worked as the Director of Youth Football. Later on, Cooper even served as the caretaker manager in the club.

The most outstanding achievement of Scott Cooper came at Buriram United itself. Under his mentorship, the Thai club remained unbeaten in the Thai Premier League, AFC Champions League, and the League Cup and Thai FA Cup. Notably, he took Buriram United to a different height as the club ranked up within the top 10 clubs of Asia.

His most extended association was with the Philippines national team. His stay lasted from 2018 to 2022. Not only did he work as a manager, but he also served as a team manager, advisor and once a caretaker mentor.

Recently, he was working as the manager of Port FC in the Thai League. In the competition, his side lost just one game out of a total of 13. This included five wins, and seven draws too!

Jamshedpur FC's season

The club ended their ISL 2022-23 campaign in the 10th position. In the Hero Super Cup however, they were one of the few clubs which remained unbeaten and reached the semi-finals, only to lose out to Bengaluru FC.