MANAGER

Approaching his 10th anniversary as Wycombe Wanderers manager, Gareth Ainsworth has led the club on an adventure from the foot of League 2 to the Championship during his time at Adams Park, and cementing his place in Chairboys folklore for achieving against the odds time and time again.

A winger in his playing days with Cambridge, Preston, Lincoln, Wimbledon and QPR, Ainsworth first arrived at Wycombe in 2009, winning a Player of the Year award in his maiden campaign and later moving onto the coaching staff, earning his first full-time managerial role after Gary Waddock departed in September 2012.

Off-field troubles plagued the early part of his tenure but Ainsworth cultivated a team and culture that would go on to thrive in League 2, reaching the Play-Off Final in 2015 and winning automatic promotion three years later, having also embarked on a number of successful cup runs in the meantime.

He was able to not just consolidate the Blues' position in League 1 but steered them to a thrilling promotion via the play-offs in their second year in the third tier, reaching the Championship for the first time in their history.

Falling narrowly short of survival, Ainsworth launched a bid to return to the Championship at the first time of asking and Wanderers secured their highest ever points tally in League 1, accumulating 83 points to finish in the play-offs, only to lose to Sunderland in the final.

The 49-year-old has regularly been linked with managerial roles elsewhere but remains at the helm to lead the club into the 2022/23 campaign, alongside launching a new album with his band and continuing to turn out for Finchampstead FC in the local Sunday leagues.