Tony Pulis

Tony obtained his FA coaching badge at age 19, followed by his UEFA 'A' licence aged 21 – making him one of the youngest professional players ever to have completed the qualification. He had a 17-year playing career in the game as a defender, including spells with Bristol Rovers, Newport County, Gillingham, and Bournemouth, where he played under Harry Redknapp. He also took his first steps into coaching under Redknapp and after becoming his assistant, his first managerial job followed with The Cherries. Spells at Gillingham, where he was a promotion winner, Bristol City and Portsmouth followed before a first stint at Stoke between 2002-2005. He returned to Stoke in 2006 after one season at Plymouth, and guided the club to promotion from the Championship in his second season back with Stoke. Pulis went on to make history in 2011 by guiding to Stoke to their first ever FA Cup final. The Potters were beaten by Manchester City at Wembley, but qualified for the Europa League where they reached the knockout stages before losing to Valencia. He was named Premier League Manager of the Season in 2014 after guiding Crystal Palace to their highest ever top flight final placing of 11th. After joining West Brom in 2015 Pulis celebrated the milestone of 1,000 games in management as his Baggies side faced former employers Stoke a year later.  He subsequently managed Middlesbrough. A committed charity worker, Pulis’ previous endeavours for worthy causes include climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, running the London Marathon and completing a 450-mile rowing challenge from Tower Bridge to the Eiffel Tower. Tony was inducted into the LMA Hall of Fame in September 2016.