20 Longest Serving Managers in Premier League History

In the Premier League, no manager is safe; a single mistake by their side could spark a barrage of headlines implying the coach’s career is in jeopardy. Ask Mikel Arteta, who had pressure early in his current reign at Arsenal.

Some of the best tacticians in the game have crumbled under the chaotic management of the world’s most watched league, and top-flight coaches bear pressure unlike any other. Although achieving immediate success is a coach’s top aim, they also make plans for the future in the hopes of creating a dynasty at their clubs.

The model is Sir Alex Ferguson, who changed with the times to keep Manchester United the team to beat during his tenure. The bad news for Ruben Amorim is that none of the eight permanent and temporary managers the club has had since Ferguson have survived more than three years. Perhaps this is the reason INEOS is giving him more time.

Among the top 20 longest-serving managers in Premier League history is one of the Scots’ successors. Arteta is one of those who will be featured in the ranking, which makes for interesting reading.

10Mikel Arteta

The likelihood that Arteta will remain in command five years and nine months after his arrival in December 2019 has probably been minimized by the majority of Arsenal supporters. Not to mention that the Spaniard has never managed a first team before, though it helped to work with Pep Guardiola.

Arteta is not going anywhere, and this season he might finally realize his dream of leading the Gunners to Premier League success. If he were to serve out the remainder of his contract, which expires in the summer of 2027, he would rank sixth among the managers with the longest tenures in Premier League history.

9Alan Curbishley

The elder generation of Premier League supporters evaluates cult superstars as “Barclaysmen” in order to reminisce about their early years of watching top-tier football. Alan Curbishley is deserving of recognition if they were to select coaches from that era, in part because to his longevity.

During his five years and eleven months in charge, Charlton Athletic became a reliable mid-table team. The Englishman’s best performances occurred in the Valley, including a seventh-place finish in the 2003–04 season.

8Rafa Benitez

Rafa Benitez spent five years and eleven months at Anfield, and the Kop fell in love with him. Liverpool is known for putting their trust in its managers. When his Reds pulled off an incredible comeback to defeat AC Milan in the miracle of Istanbul, the Spanish tactician provided their most memorable night.

Touchline altercations with Sir Alex Ferguson were among the highs and lows of Benitez’s leadership. After departing the team in 2010, he sought to relive the pleasures of his time on the red side of Merseyside with stints at Chelsea, Newcastle, and even Everton, but he was unable to duplicate his success. He fell in love with English football.

7Harry Redknapp

Harry Redknapp’s tenure as manager of West Ham United was his longest in the Premier League, but his tenure at Tottenham Hotspur was the pinnacle of his managerial career. When the well-liked English coach took over at Upton Park in 1994, he was a relatively new manager.

After a brief stint as assistant manager, Redknapp, who lasted six years and nine months, took over, and his talent-spotting skills put English football on notice. He introduced young players like Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, and his nephew Frank Lampard to the Hammers, who later became well-known.

6Joe Kinnear

Although Wimbledon hasn’t played in the Premier League in a long time, the Dons were a competitive mid-table team in the 1990s. Joe Kinnear joined them in 1992 after they were predicted to be relegated, and he played a key role in turning them into a top-flight mainstay at that time.

He was in the dugout for six years and eleven months, and the team’s highest-ever top-tier finish is still sixth place from the 1993–94 season. Due to health concerns, he quit in March 1999, and the Crazy Gang was demoted a year later.

5Jurgen Klopp

When Jurgen Klopp said goodbye to Liverpool after eight years and eight months as manager, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house during the last game of the 2023–24 season. Every Liverpudlian fell in love with the German because he was more than just their gaffer; he was a part of the city and its culture.

During his long tenure, he won every major trophy, including the Premier League triumph in 2020, which put an end to a 30-year league glory drought. His October 2015 appointment is still regarded as one of the most significant in Premier League history, and there is always a chance that Anfield will make a comeback.

4Pep Guardiola

After nine years and three months at the Etihad, Pep Guardiola has now been the head coach of Manchester City for twice as long as he was in charge of Barcelona. Even though he is Catalan, his pride in leading the Cityzens to unprecedented success makes his heart blue.

Innumerable records have been broken, four Premier League titles in a row, including a triple to match rivals Manchester United. He signed a new two-year deal just when supporters believed he would be ready to retire in late 2024, and he has clearly made it his goal to lead City to a prosperous start to a new age of superstars.

3David Moyes

When Everton first moved to Bramley-Moore Dock, David Moyes’ ability to revitalize the team shouldn’t have been in question. The Scot has the opportunity to build on an incredible 11-year, three-month stint with the Toffees from 2002 to 2013, and he will always be considered the best Toffees manager.

Who knows? If Moyes hadn’t been persuaded to take Sir Alex Ferguson’s place at Manchester United, he might have been in the dugout at Goodison Park. He would be eager to recapture the excitement of managing the 2005 Champions League qualifiers.

2Alex Ferguson

Given that Sir Alex Ferguson guided Manchester United to 13 Premier League titles, it is difficult to contest his status as the best manager in Premier League history. That occurred over the 20 years and 11 months that he was in charge, during which time he was able to adjust to the times and compete with the best both in Europe and at home.

as arriving at Old Trafford in November 1986, Ferguson began a fantastical journey that ended in his retirement in 2013 as he joined Sir Matt Busby at the winners’ table. Fans and commentators questioned whether this was his final season, but his immense love for the game kept him going for more than 20 years.

1Arsene Wenger

After 21 years and eight months as Arsenal’s manager, Arsene Wenger holds the record for the longest tenure in Premier League history. The Frenchman was given the responsibility of changing the Gunners, but he accomplished much more and, maybe more than any other coach, revolutionized English football.

Even though the latter years of Wenger’s employment were occasionally difficult because of financial limitations brought on by the transfer to the Emirates, he was adamant about leading the North Londoners through these trying times. After pulling off the inconceivable and having an unbeatable season, he will remember 2004 with the greatest fondness of his 21 years in the hot seat.

Rank

Supervisor

Years

Time frame

One

Wenger

96-18

21Y 8M

2.

Ferguson

92–13

20Y 11M

3.

Moyes

02-13

11Y 3M

4.

Guardiola

16.

3M 9Y

5.

Klopp

15–24

8Y 8M

6.

Kinnear

92–99

6Y 11M

7.

Redknapp

94-01

6Y 9M

8.

Benitez

04-10

5Y 11M

9.

Curbishley

00-06

5Y 11M

10.

Arteta

19.

5Y 9M

11.

Dyche

16–22

5Y 9M

Twelve

The Allardyce

01-07

5Y 9M

13.

Houllier

98-04

5Y 7M

14

Pochettino

14–19

5Y 4M

15.

Smith

96-01

5Y 3M

16

Howe

15 to 20

4Y 11M

17

The McClaren

01–06

4Y 11M

18

Robson

99-04

4Y 11M

19.

The Pulis

08-13

10M 4Y

20

Evans

94–98

4Y 9M