Will Still has opened up on the talk linking him to Sunderland in recent times.
Following Tony Mowbray’s dismissal as manager of Reims, Will Still has spoken out about the rumours that connected him to the Sunderland position in 2023.
According to multiple sources, Sunderland was very interested in the young coach and had even made contact with Still, but they were turned off by the amount of money they would have had to pay.
“It was a lot of noise for something that never really happened,” Still told The Athletic regarding Sunderland’s interest. “There has been interest, I’m not going to lie about it. I’d rather be open and honest, and I think I was. We’ve had interest. People have wanted to talk to us. This is the reality of the situation.”
Some reports also suggested that Still was pushing to force a move to England, a claim the Reims coach heavily disputes.
“It went from an interest from clubs to, ‘Will Still is being arrogant and wants to leave Reims who’ve given him this amazing opportunity.’ I was like, ‘No I don’t. I’m still just me. Any manager in the world would have listened to the offer. If someone offered you a better job, better life, you’d listen. Any human being would listen.’ But it was just that the wrong story got told. It was ‘Will wants to leave, he’s fed up of Reims, he’s this and that…’ Load of s**t.”
Following Michael Beale’s dismissal, Sunderland is once more looking for a new head coach, and Still’s name has come up once more. However, he isn’t discounting the possibility of moving to the Championship and England at some point in the future.
“I would work for a Championship team without a problem,” Still says. “What I’ve now understood, I’ve now realised, is how important people are. And how important finding the right place to be is going to be for my career. And people who understand the way I work, because I’m a bit different. I’m a bit odd sometimes. If something’s s**t, I want someone to tell me it’s s**t.”
However, I would want to work for a Championship team that is driven, willing to put in the necessary effort, communicate honestly and openly, and truly aspires to succeed.
“Obviously, every manager’s desire is to manage in the Premier League. However, I’m not in a rush to join the Premier League or to play for a particular club when I move to England; if something works, it works, and I’d be just as happy doing that.
“I’ve never really had a career plan. I’ve never set a timing on anything. I’ve just waited for opportunities to come up; see how it feels, see what it’s like.”
With Mike Dodds taking over as interim manager following Beale’s dismissal until the end of the season, Sunderland will play their next championship match at the Stadium of Light against Swansea City on Saturday.
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