Michael Appleton, recently appointed boss at Portsmouth, is now the second-youngest manager in the Championship behind Eddie Howe at Burnley. The former Manchester United trainee said: "Some will use the fact I'm only 35 and that I haven't managed before. But they can tend to forget the people I've worked under as a player and a coach."
Appleton added: "I've spent seven years coaching, and five of them with senior players. Roy Hodgson gave me the opportunity to work as his assistant in the Premier League and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was probably the step I needed so that I could come on and take this job now.
"The average age of managers is coming down all the time - it's good to see people being given that opportunity. When you see people like Brendan Rodgers doing well in the Premier League with Swansea, it helps the likes of myself to get an opportunity like this."
