Inside Mark Hudson’s journey from Pep Guardiola challenge to Sheffield United via Cardiff City

The former Huddersfield Town star and Cardiff City manager has been appointed to Paul Heckingbottom’s backroom staff

Facing Pep Guardiola in your first game as a manager is the last fixture you would want. But it was a baptism of fire that helped shape Mark Hudson’s coaching career.

The 41-year-old has been appointed Sheffield United defensive coach, bringing more experience to a coaching set-up already bursting with knowledge of the beautiful game. Hudson’s arrival means Paul Heckingbottom now has three former managers on the training pitch each day, joining Jack Lester and Stuart McCall.

His first taste of management could not have been tougher. Having retired from football following Huddersfield Town’s promotion via the play-offs in 2017, he moved into a coaching role at the Terriers under his former boss David Wagner.

It proved a steep learning curve at Premier League level and he was thrown into the deep end when Wagner was sacked in 2019 following a run of nine games without a win. Hudson was handed the reins on a temporary basis and asked to lead the team for the next match – Man City at home.

“There was not one thing about that week that made me think this isn’t for me,” he told Coaches Voice. “Not one.

“It wasn’t the best circumstances, in all honesty; taking over a team that was bottom of the Premier League with two wins from 22 games, and the small matter of a game against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City coming up on the Sunday.

“The board asked me to take the team for the upcoming match as caretaker manager. I had no hesitation at all in saying yes.

“It was a really weird situation, though. I’d loved playing for and working with David and his assistant Christoph Bühler and, just like so many members of the squad, I was sad to see them go.

“David had just said his goodbyes, and then suddenly the spotlight was on me. I told the players we all knew the results hadn’t been good enough, but they still had a job to do.

“I told them they were still part of this club and they still got paid to do something that they should love. We had to focus on the game at the weekend. I had to try and bring some smiles to their faces because there will have been some players who were wondering if they were to blame for David’s departure.

“I brought some new ideas, a bit of freshness to training. That, along with a bit more motivation in some of the players, meant the week – once that first meeting was out of the way – was a complete joy.

“The main piece of advice I was given was to go and enjoy it. And I did. The game was as difficult as you’d expect, and we lost 3-0.

“I loved every single part of that week, though. From doing the media to trying to pick up a team that was hurting, it was all amazing. Having my own team and putting together a game plan that was then put into practice – and you could see elements of it out there on the pitch against one of the best teams in the world – was so rewarding.

“Yes, there were tough parts. Standing up in front of that squad – which had a few internationals of its own – was nerve-wracking, and not showing any nerves was a challenge in itself. But that was it for me. I’d caught the management bug.

“I wouldn’t say I always knew I’d wanted to go into coaching. When I was in my 20s, I always thought my playing career would end and I’d leave the game. I thought I’d just play golf after I retired! But by the time I stopped playing, I was excited about my move into coaching.”

It was a one-off experience, with Jan Siewert appointed swiftly following Wagner’s exit but his stay at the John Smith’s stadium was a short one and Hudson was back in the dugout for three games in August early into the Championship campaign.

Having already worked closely under Wagner, a manager he admired, Hudson’s confidence was growing and he was already taking on new ideas. He added: “David and Christoph had been a huge influence on me in terms of the coach I became. They taught us to play the game in a completely different way from what I’d seen before.

“They also opened my eyes to a completely different style of management, coaching and analysis – particularly how it can all be blended together to create something special on the pitch.

“I shadowed David and Christoph; I followed things in the media department to see how that worked; I saw how the sport science department went about their business every day; and I spent loads of time with the data-analysis team. That was something David and Christoph were very, very big on, and it was a big part of our success at Huddersfield.

“It was important for me to understand how they coded things, how they worked out trends in the opposition and how they presented their findings for others to understand it all easily. I learned a lot.”

One of the decisions that Hudson made under Wagner will have appealed to Heckingbottom. He was appointed Under-23 coach, with Wagner giving him responsibility for shaping the players closest to the first team in the way that Wagner wanted his teams to play.

It was a success and Hudson provided plenty of players who went on to make their senior bow. With Sheffield United’s senior players working closely with the best crop of youngsters on the pitches at Shirecliffe, Hudson’s experience at handling both can only be a good thing.

Hudson looked after the team for a second time after Siewert’s departure, where he was now first-team coach, until the arrival of the Cowley brothers. However, the Terriers opted to make a clean sweep of their senior management and coaching set-up when they relieved the Cowleys of their duties and Hudson got the chop.

It was a valuable experience and his next step was to return to his former club Cardiff City, where he had enjoyed success as a player. He started as first-team coach before the sacking of Steve Morison, ironically following a 1-0 defeat at Huddersfield Town, saw him appointed as interim manager.

His final game in temporary charge was a 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United, following which he was handed the reins on a permanent basis. It was also a fixture that saw Heckingbottom, Lester and McCall get a glimpse into him as a person and coach and he obviously impressed in what would have been an unknowing audition.

By being in the opposition dugout, it meant Hudson had done his homework on United. He said ahead of the match: “They’re a good team.

“Under Heckingbottom, they’re full of energy, they’ve got some really good players in that team as well. They will bring an intensity, a non-stop game that’s going to be high-energy and we’ve got to match and go beyond that. We’re looking forward to it.”

He would have known ahead of his arrival at the Shirecliffe training complex this week, exactly what he could offer Heckingbottom and his team. He completes United’s coaching picture, with a specialist in all four departments and it’s something the Blades boss has been wanting.

“He has a lot of experience and knows the position and he has also managed, which I really like. Jack has, Macca has, and from my point of view that’s invaluable,” Heckingbottom explained. “He knows what it takes to get a performance out of players because he has been the one at the top end managing a team.

“When you are in my position, to have three support staff around me who know what job you are trying to do, it really is important. It makes my job easier because you know little bits are getting picked up that might be getting missed by people who haven’t experienced it.”

Hudson had not only the experience of coming up against Heckingbottom’s United last season, but a study visit also opened his eyes to what he would be walking into.