Chris Hughton is widely considered as one of the nice guys in football.

Quiet, reserved and never one for the spotlight, he is currently doing a remarkable job with Brighton and Hove Albion in the Championship and we think he has been sorely overlooked when it comes to the England job. 

Just looking at his history and taking it on face value, it wouldn’t necessarily make for the best reading, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find he’s been harshly mistreated and hard done by.

His time with Brighton this season is just showing once again that he not only should have been considered in the running when the last vacancy came up, but he should most definitely be taken into consideration when the next opportunity arises.

Here’s three reasons why Shoot! think Hughton deserves to be the England manager…

Diverse experience

Hughton has been in the game longer than some may care to remember, all starting with 27 years as a player and then a coach at Tottenham Hotspur.

He cemented his place as Spurs’ left-back early on and went on to be generally considered as one of the club’s greatest ever full-backs.

Following this, he took charge of Tottenham’s Under-21s and then the reserve team in the late 1990s. He was later appointed as a coach to the first-team and served under a wide array of managers including Glenn Hoddle, George Graham and Gerry Francis.

From here, he worked in the Newcastle United first-team coaching setup and went on to takeover as their permanent manager during a time of crisis for The Magpies.

Hughton managed to win the Championship title and gain Newcastle automatic promotion to the Premier League and received wide praise from players, fans and the media for his management style and ability to stabilise a club in disarray.

Whilst he also had a successful spell at Birmingham City, which gave him some European experience thanks to The Blues’ run in the Europa League, it’s his time at Brighton that has really made him stand out again.

Leading Brighton to the top of the Championship and making them an almost nailed on certainty for automatic promotion, he has managed to do it against some really tough odds, including the lack of the same parachute payments other clubs have received in the Championship.

Management style

Hughton’s style not only really fits the England culture, but he has a lot to offer that The Three Lions haven’t necessarily had in a manager in recent times.

His quiet and reserved style fits perfectly for what The FA would be looking for and his lack of need for the spotlight would allow for him to put the focus on what’s important.

Some may see this as a negative for the England job, but amidst his own controversies in the past, the criticism that comes with the job is stuff he has seen all before.

He’s a great man manager and gains the trust of his players, which is evident from the negative reaction seen when he’s been unfairly sacked at previous jobs.

For Brighton in particular this campaign, we’ve not only seen fantastic team spirit and chemistry, but a fantastic eye for tactics.

It’s been clear that his teams are setup to combat what the opposition has to offer, whilst he has the ability to turn a game on it’s head midway though if he needs to.

Exactly what England would need in an international tournament.

Premier League pedigree

Hughton has been woefully mistreated, first by Newcastle United and then by Norwich City. After steering Newcastle to the Championship title, he enjoyed success in the Premier league with The Magpies and were mid-table come December 2010.

However, a swift sacking from the Newcastle board was met with genuine disgust and left a sour taste in the mouth of fans, players and the media.

He received the backing from a wide range of ex-players and media outlets and Newcastle fans even organised a protest at their next home game after the sacking to show their support for Hughton.

After a successful spell at Birmingham City, Hughton become the manager of Norwich and managed to keep them in the Premier League throughout his time at the club, including a remarkable 11th placed finish in his first season with the club.

His sacking again was met with criticism, with The Canaries five points above the relegation zone at the time. 

While Hughton’s success is by no means obvious, all the facts are their leading to why he’d be a perfect fit for the England role in the future.

Having not only the vast experience in playing and coaching, he’s had to deal with club’s in turmoil, restricted budgets and packed schedules and has made a success of it every time, even if he has been unfairly mistreated at times.