Former Millwall manager Gary Rowett on how long a boss can be unemployed before ‘you’re easily forgotten’

Gary Rowett reckons that a manager is in danger of being left on the scrapheap if they are out of work for more than a year.

The 49-year-old opted to step down as Millwall boss in October and has been on the punditry circuit since – including launching a podcast with Dave Carolan, who had been head of performance and health at the South London club.

“I think once you get past 12 months that moment begins to come – you’re easily forgotten,” said Rowett, when asked on talkSPORT how long a manager can be unemployed before there is a risk of not getting another crack at management.

“You can name a hundred who have been successful but are now out of work. The stronger that pool of managers in the Premier League starts to come down to the Championship and starts to come down to League One. So there are very few opportunities available.

“I don’t think you can be out too long but I also think you can be too impulsive and take the wrong job.

“I think if you are going to enter into those discussions then you have to feel like it is the right time for you. As a manager when you’re out of work you know – you get that excitement and want to get back. You start thinking again about how you team is going to look and some of the mistakes you have made.

“Sometimes when you come out of a job it takes a little bit of time naturally to get that energy back because you want to do things you haven’t had the opportunity to do.

“I don’t think there is ever the perfect opportunity but there are ones that you go ‘that feels like the right feeling’.

Rowett’s successor Joe Edwards won his opening match – 4-0 at Sheffield Wednesday – but has taken one point from a possible 15 since.

“He’s a bright young coach and he has been given a really, really good opportunity at an excellent club that knows what it is,” said Rowett. “And the club does need to try and move forward in a different way, after me being there for four years.

“The challenge he will have, and he is having, is that you have to find a balance – you have to win games and that gives the players and fans confidence. It gives you confidence.

“Leicester is a tough game but it is about what they do over probably the next month to make that happen.”