sport news I Derby boss Paul Warne reflects on his dad, death... and a Rams revival trends now
Paul Warne's voice cracks as he fights back tears. The Derby manager is remembering his father, Russell, and how he always thinks of him when he sees the sun rise.
Russell died from a lung condition in June 2019 and is never far from his son’s mind. When Derby face West Ham in the FA Cup fourth round at Pride Park on Monday, it will put one of the most interesting characters in the game in front of a national audience.
‘When the sun comes out, I think it’s my father, because he loved the sun,’ says Warne, who played for five clubs across 15 years before taking his first job in management at Rotherham in 2016. ‘I always think that. If I talk about it, it’s hard.
Paul Warne often thinks of his father, Russell, who passed away from a lung condition in 2019
The Derby boss is preparing his side to face Premier League West Ham in the FA Cup
‘The first home game I had as manager of Derby was in October. We played Port Vale and it was a sunny day. I walked on to the pitch and I thought my dad was with me. I thought, “How proud would my dad be of me, managing Derby?”’
Over the course of a fascinating hour in his office at Derby’s HQ, Warne discusses everything from the new coffee machine at the training ground to the changing attitudes of today’s managers —and whether he believes in life after death.
In a sport still laced with machismo, Warne is a refreshing antidote. His emotional speech to his Rotherham players after promotion from League One in 2020 went viral and he sees no reason to put up any defences in front of his squad.
Warne said he remembered his dad when he walked out for his first game as Rams boss
He speaks highly of the relationship he has with his players and how things have changed over the years
‘I have broken down, I have cried in front of players before,’ he reflects. ‘I don’t care. I have got a bit emotional in a couple of team talks here, though I haven’t actually cried in front of this squad, I don’t think.
‘But it doesn’t bother me. So what? If I’m asking them to be open and emotional and trusting of me, I have to show vulnerability. I need them to know each other and if it starts with me crying, then that’s fine.
‘I don’t think I could have managed in the 1980s or 1990s. I wasn’t that character to shout and scream, grab people by the throat and all that macho nonsense. It’s pathetic, isn’t it? Nobody ever throws a punch anyway.
The former midfielder enjoyed several years at Rotherham before taking over at Pride Park
‘If my centre forward’s partner was having a baby on a matchday, he’d get the day off. That wouldn’t have happened when I was playing. It would have been, “So what? The game is at 3pm. Get there”.
‘I’ve got more emotional over the years. I’ve turned into a wreck! I could watch a Disney film and I’d cry. Since I lost my father it’s definitely changed me but I don’t believe in life after death.
‘I wish I did. I speak to the lads who are religious all the time and I say, “Explain it to me”. It doesn’t make sense to me. My brain won’t allow it to be believable.
‘I wish I had faith, I do. I’ve got a strong moral compass but faith passed me by.’
Warne has, however, inspired faith at a club
