Portsmouth title winner and ex-Oxford man returns to football with Swindon - just 19 days after losing his job

A former Pompey favourite is back in football - just 19 days following his dismissal.

Danny Rose has been unveiled as youth development phase lead coach at former club Swindon.

As a player, he helped the Robins to League Two promotion in 2019-20 and totalled 33 appearances during a successful stay.

Now he has returned to the County Ground, within three weeks of his sacking as assistant manager at struggling Darlington on New Year’s Eve.

Rose replaces another former Blues player in Lewis Ward, who combined Swindon’s Academy role with responsibilities as first-team goalkeeper.

Ward, who spent six months at Fratton Park as back-up to Craig MacGillivray without making an appearance, has featured eight times for the Robins since joining in August 2023.

However, with Ward leaving, Rose took over the Academy reins last week, marking a swift comeback in the game following his Darlington disappointment.

The Pompey League Two title winner was named as Josh Gowling’s right-hand man at the National League North club in September, signalling a first managerial role.

Yet Gowling would pay the price for a disastrous run of three wins in 16 matches, including an 8-0 defeat to Chorley, with a December exit ending 98 days in charge.

Rose remained as caretaker boss to oversee a 1-0 defeat at Scarborough which left them second from bottom, before also departing the Quakers on New Year’s Eve.

Replacement Steve Watson, the former Newcastle and Aston Villa defender, has subsequently won one of his three matches in charge as Darlington remain in deep relegation trouble.

Rose retired from playing in September 2023 to focus on management and coaching aspirations, with Northern Premier League East Division side Cleethorpes his final club.

During a career consisting of five promotions, his most memorable was arguably claiming the League Two title with Pompey in 2016-17.

The midfielder featured 64 times during two-and-a-half years on the south coast, before leaving for Swindon on a free transfer in January 2019.