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Kieron Dyer speaks for the first time on becoming the new head coach of Southend

Kieron Dyer speaks for the first time on becoming the new head coach of Southend United, following the sacking of Kevin Maher.

It is the 47 year old’s first senior lead managerial role, coming in having been a first-team coach at league above Chesterfield, and prior to that, .

Fair to say, it seems Kieron has impressed in his first interview, as per Chris Phillips, while @RyanStubbs_ says phrases like “attacking football”, “adaptable” and “strong tactical understanding” got him excited for the season ahead.

The club said in a statement: “Southend United is pleased to announce the appointment of Kieron Dyer as the Club’s new Head Coach on an initial two-year contract with a club option for a third year.

“The former England international arrives in South Essex from Chesterfield, where he established himself as a key figure of Paul Cook’s staff as First-Team Coach.

“Prior to his role at Chesterfield, Dyer had coached at his boyhood club Ipswich Town with coaching roles spanning across the Under-18s, Under-23s, and First Team.

“Following a thorough recruitment process involving candidates from across the UK and overseas, Dyer was selected due to his coaching credentials, leadership qualities, tactical understanding, commitment to player development and alignment with the long-term vision for Southend United.

“His extensive experience across the English football pyramid as both a player and a coach, combined with his passion for continuous learning and improving players, made him an ideal fit to lead the football department into its next chapter.”

“I’m really proud and privileged,” Dyer said on joining the Shrimpers. “Southend are the biggest club in the National League and deserve to be a league club. I’m really excited to get started and hopefully get this club into the Football League, where it belongs.

“I’ve been a sponge absorbing all the knowledge around me and seeing how top managers have worked. There’s so many ways to play this game and so to get different ideas and apply them to my philosophy can only help in the long-run.

“We will fear no one in this league. We will try to dominate the ball and play with such a high intensity; it’s one of my non-negotiables. I feel if we do these things then we have a great chance.

“To the supporters, I’ll do everything I can to be successful, so enjoy the ride. It’s going to be a lot of fun and hopefully you’ll enjoy the football that we put out on the pitch.”

Speaking on Dyer’s appointment, Oliver Gage, Director of Football, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Kieron to Southend United, and look forward to working together as we continue building for the future.

“What stood out throughout the process was his clarity of thought. He has a very clear understanding of how he wants his teams to play, how he develops players and how he builds a high-performance environment.

“He combines elite playing experience with strong coaching credentials and a genuine desire to keep learning and improving. Just as importantly, he embraced the collaborative we’re building at the Club and shares our ambition to drive Southend United forward.

“He knows what promotion from the National League looks like, understands the level, understands the area and is passionate about developing players and improving standards every day.”

Further announcements regarding Kieron’s backroom staff and the wider football department structure will be made in due course.

The club statement continued: “Dyer brings a wealth of experience from the very top levels of professional football, having enjoyed an outstanding playing career spanning the Premier League and international football.

“He earned 33 senior England caps and made more than 250 Premier League appearances during a career that saw him represent Ipswich Town, Newcastle United and West Ham United.

“Following his playing career, Dyer committed himself to building a long-term career in coaching.

“He returned to the Tractor Boys, where he progressed through a variety of coaching roles, initially within the academy where he learned from the likes of Brian Klug and Terry Butcher touching on his own experiences to help transition players from youth to senior level. Paul Cook’s arrival at Portman Road led to Dyer being integrated into the first team environment, often joining Cook’s staff in the dugout on matchdays.

“Dyer then linked back up with Cook at Chesterfield as his First Team Coach, where he played an integral role in the coaching staff that guided the Spirerites to the National League title in 2023/24 before helping establish Chesterfield as a competitive top-half League Two side.

“Beyond his formal coaching roles, Dyer has actively sought opportunities to broaden his knowledge and challenge his thinking. This has included spending time observing Vincent Kompany’s coaching environment at Anderlecht, and shadowing former Magpies teammate Craig Bellamy in Wales’ coaching environment during international camps, and learning from a variety of elite football settings throughout his coaching journey.

“Dyer is recognised as a thoughtful and modern coach with a strong tactical understanding of the game.

“His preferred style is front-foot, attacking football, but he believes successful teams must also be tactically flexible and capable of adapting to different opponents and situations.

“His coaching philosophy combines organisation, intensity, technical quality and attacking intent, while placing significant emphasis on preparation, analysis and continuous improvement.”

Gage added: “One of the qualities that impressed the Club most throughout the recruitment process was Dyer’s genuine passion for coaching and player development.

“Having progressed through Ipswich Town as both a player and a coach, Dyer understands the importance of creating pathways for young players and helping individuals maximise their potential.

“His enthusiasm for spending time on the training pitch, improving players and building a high-performance environment resonated with our goals as a Club of developing talent and building sustainable success.”

Interviewer: So Kieron, we’re delighted to welcome you on board as head coach of Southend United. How excited are you to get started here?

Kieron: First off, I’m really proud, really privileged. I think Southend are the biggest club in the National League, deserve to be in a Football League club and yeah I’m really really excited. Can’t wait to get started and like I said hopefully get this club in the Football League where it belongs.

Interviewer: Many supporters will recognise you from your exploits as a player at the top level in the Premier League and featuring regularly for England. How much did your playing experience steer you towards becoming a coach?

Kieron: Not really. When I was a player, I never thought about coaching. It was after I finished playing I took a year out, soon got bored and luckily for me, one of my connections at Ipswich, they got me involved in the academy and from there I was hooked. um started from the 16s and progressed to um all the way to the 21s and obviously when Paul Cook left I went into the first team environment as well. So from that day I was completely hooked and then I’ve been a sponge as you could say absorbing all the knowledge got good contacts in the game went out of this country, all around this country seeing how top managers worked and then went to Chesterfield and had a really successful period there and yeah I’m ready for the next chapter of my career.

Interviewer: Like you mentioned you’ve not been short in role models. Who have been the greatest influences you’ve looked to learn from and how have you applied that into developing your own coaching philosophy?

Kieron: Well, from a when I was playing, the greatest manager and coach that you could one could possibly have is probably in the two top three managers of all time, is Bobby Robson, just his man management skills um was second to none. And again, I talked about contacts in today’s football, I’ve got five, I call it a circle of trust of friends in football who I always ring up for advice and help. And, John McDermott, who’s the FA technical director, is just on the other end of the phone, spoke to him all weekend. Tony Mowbray is another one, he’s been and done it in all leagues, fantastic man, a fantastic mentor for me. Liam Manning as well, obviously he’s got some personal problems going on but again someone I always speak to football lean on and then two teammates of mine who are now in the world of coaching in Craig Bellamy and Jonathan Woodgate on the phone to him every day not afraid to ask him for help people think asking for help and advice is weakness I think this a strength uh there’s so many ways to play this game and to get different ideas and listen and try to add these ideas to your philosophy can only help in the long run.

Interviewer: And touching on your coaching experience today, you spent a few years back at your boyhood club with Ipswich Town coaching in their academy and first team with a strong focus on preparing young players for making successful careers in senior football. What did that experience do for your own development as a coach and how much importance do you place on those pathways for younger players?

Kieron: Yeah, so if you ask me what type of coach I am, I call myself a developer, Ipswich we had a fantastic academy. I was an academy boy who came through as a player. So, it held a special place in my heart. So, to develop players, to improve players, to make these players into assets there’s no better feeling when you hand a player their first professional contract or their first scholar and you see the tears and the joys in the parents. So, that brings real joy to me. It’s probably one of the laziest things when you hear managers of first teams where it’s all about results. It’s all about team and yes, rightly so. But you can always have an IDP plan for every player. Improve players individually, not just in a team environment, and that’s something I’ll definitely do, we need to get some assets for this football club and build a team around the assets of this football club.

Interviewer: You also have plenty of experience of National League football from your time at Chesterfield. How can you apply that promotion winning experience to your new role here?

Kieron: Yes, very important, obviously because of the one automatic promotion place, people rightly say it’s one of the hardest leagues to get out of. I had two years in the National League with Chesterfield, lost in the playoff final to Notts County, and then the season we romped it. I think we we won the league um, still in March. I know what it takes, you just look at the the two teams that went up, in York and Rochdale. Boreham Wod made the final. They were the teams that dominated the possession, when you hear, again, it’s a a false narrative when you hear that, it’s all about set pieces, getting the ball in the other side of the pitch as quick as possible. No, we can play football here. That’s what I want to apply to this team to dominate the ball, high intense football, and I feel that if we do these things right, then we have a great a great chance.

Interviewer: You’re now stepping into a head coach role here at Southend United. What appealed to you about taking on that responsibility and what about the club made it the right fit for you?

Kieron: It was Paul Cook who um, I was happy being a first team coach and it was probably around Christmas time and he said I was wasted as a first team coach. He said, “You’ve evolved now that you have to be your own man. Um, you’re seeing the game.” um you’re bamboozling me with some of your ideas. Um I can tell you’re ready. Um and then obviously at the end of the season I was still welcomed at Chesterfield, but he said go and give it a chance and again I touched on earlier Southend are for me the biggest club in the National League.

See more of what he had to say here…

Here’s how fans reacted as Kieron Dyer speaks for the first time on becoming the new head coach of Southend…

@lewyitfc: Kieran Dyer showed to be a good coach and also worked under Paul Cook who I attribute laying the foundations of our current success

@ConorSammon100: Welcome Kieron. Good reviews coming from Ipswich and Chesterfield fans. Hopefully an exciting rebuild ahead 👍🏻

@TerryEd123: I love our fans writing off the new manager before he’s even been announced.

@__jacklawrence: Kieran Dyer would be my guess. Holds the highest coaching qualification just like Kev. Up and coming coach that would fit into the model. Yes wouldn’t be most people’s choice but please let’s give it a chance before having a meltdown and writing him off before he begins

@Simontimofish: No he has done fuck all as coach this is giving the dick bate vibes all over again he was a coach at Notts County he came to southend with apparent big reputation looked what happened 6 games in he was gone after we lost 8 1 6 2 in his 1st 3 games only win was against Brentford in the league Cup

@__jacklawrence: Just because it didn’t work out with 1 guy doesn’t mean it doesn’t work with someone else especially under a much better set up in the football department.

@danfairless97: Wasnt on anybodys lists. But time to back the man. Welcome Kieron.

@andy_b1969: Very happy with that… looks a great fit for the new direction we are heading in. Good luck Kieran. 🎶 Kieran Dyer’s blue and white army 🎶

@shrimperjon: 100% this. It’s an exciting appt. Has good experience and knows the NL. Chesterfield fans are gutted he is leaving so that tells you how highly he is regarded. Let’s get behind him one and all. Time to move on

@tommy2holes: Let’s give the man a chance to prove his worth. Welcome aboard Kieron.

@lew32323: Trying to stay positive but if we’ve sacked Maher for Kieron dyer I’m really struggling here

@wiggok92: Let’s get behind him and stop this negativity

@Ianjholmes: Welcome and good luck Kieron – you will be impressed with the support and backing you will get here!

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