John Eustace

John Eustace was appointed as the Head Coach of Derby County.on 13th February 2025.

He took over at Pride Park Stadium after deciding to leave fellow Sky Bet Championship side Blackburn Rovers, who sat in the division’s play-off places at the time.

A former Derby player, Eustace enjoyed a playing career which saw him record in excess of 400 appearances and as a manager he has taken charge in excess of 200 matches.

Playing Career

After coming through the ranks as a trainee at Coventry City as a midfielder, Eustace made 98 appearances for the Sky Blues between 1998 and 2003 in the Premier League and First Division, scoring ten goals.

Eustace had loan spells at Dundee United in Scotland, where he actually made his senior debut in February 1999, and Middlesbrough before moving to Stoke City in 2003.

He made 84 appearances and scored six for the Potters during four and a half seasons in the Potteries in the second tier, as well as heading to then League Two Hereford United for a brief loan spell in the 2006/07 season.

Eustace joined another Championship side in Watford on the final day of the January transfer window in 2008 for a fee of £250,000 and went on to establish himself as one of the most consistent defensive midfielders in the Championship.

During his time at Vicarage Road, he enjoyed a brief loan spell with the Rams at the back end of the 2008/09 season, making nine appearances before returning to the Hornets. In total, he made 168 appearances for Watford and scored 16 goals prior to departing as a free agent in the summer of 2013.

He returned to Derby ahead of the 2013/14 campaign and went on to establish himself as a key player in the side under first Nigel Clough and then Steve McClaren. Derby went on to finish third in the Championship and reach the Play-Off Final, with Eustace playing an integral role in the holding midfield position and passing on his vast knowledge and experience.

His final season in professional football came in 2014/15 and he played 14 times, scoring once, to rack up a final total of 62 games and three goals for the Rams across two spells.

He eventually retired after his departure from Derby at the end of his contract in the summer of 2015, calling time on career that saw him play 434 games and score 34 goals.

Managerial Career

Eustace’s first steps into management came at National League side Kidderminster Harriers in April 2016 and remained in charge at Aggborough until the summer of 2018.

During his time with Kidderminster, he managed 104 matches to achieve a win percentage of 54.81% by earning 57 wins and 21 draws. In the 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons, Eustace guided the Harriers to play-off finishes and progression to the First Round Proper of the FA Cup.

Eustace linked up with his former Derby boss Steve McClaren in an assistant role at Queens Park Rangers ahead of the 2018/19 season and went on to have a seven-game spell in caretaker charge at the back end of the campaign. He remained on the coaching staff under Mark Warburton for the subsequent 2019/20, 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons with the R’s.

He returned to management as Head Coach of then-Championship outfit Birmingham City in the summer of 2022. He was in charge for the entire 2022/23 season as the Blues retained their second tier status and oversaw a strong start in the early stages of the 2023/24 season, sitting in the division’s top six, leaving with 21 wins and 16 draws from 63 matches in the hotseat.

Eustace returned to management in the Championship in February 2024, taking over at Blackburn Rovers. After guiding them to safety on the final day of the 2023/24 season, Eustace assembled a side which had been in the play-off race all season prior to his departure. His record at Ewood Park saw Rovers claim 18 wins and 15 draws from 52 matches in all competitions.

In total, Eustace arrived at Derby after recording 226 matches in management, winning 98 and drawing 53. In addition to club management, he also had a spell on the Republic of Ireland Men’s national team coaching staff in 2022.