# John Eustace
**John Eustace** (John Mark Eustace, born 1979) is an English football manager and former player who has been head coach of [EFL Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/efl-championship) club Derby County since 13 February 2025. As a midfielder he made more than 400 league and club appearances, and as a manager he has taken charge of more than 200 matches, with previous posts at Kidderminster Harriers, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers, and a caretaker spell at Queens Park Rangers.[1](https://www.dcfc.co.uk/teams/player/john-eustace) • [2](https://www.sofascore.com/football/player/john-eustace/10555)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name / born | John Mark Eustace, 1979, England; 178 cm, right-footed midfielder as a player[3](https://www.transfermarkt.com/John-Eustace/profil/trainer/57225) • [2](https://www.sofascore.com/football/player/john-eustace/10555) |
| Current role | Derby County head coach, appointed 13 February 2025, contract to 30 June 2028[1](https://www.dcfc.co.uk/teams/player/john-eustace) • [3](https://www.transfermarkt.com/John-Eustace/profil/trainer/57225) |
| Managerial record | Average points per match: Kidderminster Harriers 1.76, Derby County 1.34, Blackburn Rovers 1.31, Birmingham City 1.24, QPR 1.00[4](https://www.sofascore.com/football/manager/john-eustace/787591) |
| Defining move | Left Blackburn, then in the Championship play-off places, to join relegation-threatened Derby on a three-and-a-half-year deal in February 2025[5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cj65gr79982o) |
| Birmingham exit | Dismissed in October 2023 after 15 months, with new owners wanting Wayne Rooney in charge[5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cj65gr79982o) |
| Derby results | Kept Derby up on the final day of 2024/25; the club then rose from 19th to 8th in 2025/26, missing the play-offs on the final day[1](https://www.dcfc.co.uk/teams/player/john-eustace) • [6](https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/extremely-harsh-john-eustace-future-093138632.html) |
## Playing career
Eustace played as a midfielder, standing 178 cm tall and preferring his right foot, and wore the number 14 shirt during his career.[2](https://www.sofascore.com/football/player/john-eustace/10555) His clubs included Derby County, Watford, Stoke City, Hereford United, Coventry City, Middlesbrough, and Dundee United, and he accumulated in excess of 400 appearances before retiring.[7](https://www.fotmob.com/players/23309/john-eustace) • [1](https://www.dcfc.co.uk/teams/player/john-eustace) Derby County, the club he now manages, is also one of his former clubs as a player.[1](https://www.dcfc.co.uk/teams/player/john-eustace)
## Early management: Kidderminster Harriers and QPR
Eustace's first steps into management came at [National League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-league) side Kidderminster Harriers in April 2016, and he remained in charge at Aggborough until the summer of 2018.[1](https://www.dcfc.co.uk/teams/player/john-eustace) Across that spell his teams averaged 1.76 points per match, the highest figure of his managerial career.[4](https://www.sofascore.com/football/manager/john-eustace/787591) In the spring of 2019 he served as caretaker manager of Championship club Queens Park Rangers for seven matches, averaging 1.00 point per game.[4](https://www.sofascore.com/football/manager/john-eustace/787591)
## Birmingham City
He returned to management as head coach of Championship club Birmingham City in the summer of 2022.[1](https://www.dcfc.co.uk/teams/player/john-eustace) Over 63 matches his sides averaged 1.24 points per match.[4](https://www.sofascore.com/football/manager/john-eustace/787591) His time there ended surprisingly in October 2023, after 15 months in charge, when new owners wanted [Wayne Rooney](https://www.edgepedia.org/wayne-rooney) in charge; the club said he had helped to stabilize and strengthen the team on the pitch following his appointment in July 2022.[5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cj65gr79982o) • [8](https://www.bcfc.com/news/all/club-statement-john-eustace)
## Blackburn Rovers
Eustace took over at Blackburn Rovers in February 2024, with the club having narrowly escaped relegation the season before. Under his defensive setup [Blackburn](https://www.edgepedia.org/blackburn) became a solid contender for the play-off places in 2024/25, and he signed a new contract during that period.[9](https://www.fmscout.com/a-john-eustace-blackburn-fm24-tactic.html) • [10](https://cdn.carlisleunited.co.uk/sites/default/files/2025-04/football-agent-transactions-2024-2025.pdf) In 52 matches his Blackburn teams averaged 1.31 points per match.[4](https://www.sofascore.com/football/manager/john-eustace/787591)
## Derby County
**The February 2025 switch.** The move drew attention because he left a club in the play-off places for one in the relegation zone; his exit meant half of the Championship's teams had changed manager since the start of that season.[5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cj65gr79982o)
**Survival and progress.** Eustace guided Derby to safety on the final day of the 2024/25 season after a strong run of form between March and May.[1](https://www.dcfc.co.uk/teams/player/john-eustace) The following season Derby finished 8th in the Championship, up from 19th the year before, and missed the play-offs only on the final day.[6](https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/extremely-harsh-john-eustace-future-093138632.html)
**The 2026/27 season.** The start of the 2026/27 campaign brought a collapsed Saudi takeover by Turki Al-Sheikh, a deal sanctioned by the Independent Football Regulator and the [English Football League](https://www.edgepedia.org/english-football-league) that fell apart six weeks into the season, leaving recruitment on the back foot.[11](https://nz.news.yahoo.com/eustace-glad-drama-over-derby-165444820.html) • [12](https://eflchampionship.co.uk/club-news/can-eustace-turn-derby-s-season-around) Combined with a heavy injury list that at times left training numbers in single figures, the club recorded one win in nine matches, and by mid-October Derby sat second from bottom after six games without a win, including a 4-1 defeat at Queens Park Rangers.[12](https://eflchampionship.co.uk/club-news/can-eustace-turn-derby-s-season-around) • [13](https://eflchampionship.co.uk/club-news/eustace-calm-despite-derby-s-winless-run) Eustace said he felt "frustrated" rather than pressured and that he did not feel under pressure despite the run.[13](https://eflchampionship.co.uk/club-news/eustace-calm-despite-derby-s-winless-run)
## Style and reputation
At Blackburn, Eustace was noted for a defensively solid approach built around a 4-2-3-1 shape that turned a side that had nearly gone down into a play-off contender.[9](https://www.fmscout.com/a-john-eustace-blackburn-fm24-tactic.html) Across his coaching career his win percentage stands at 39.16%.[14](https://footystats.org/managers/england/john-eustace) His career pattern, taking over sides near the bottom of the Championship and lifting them toward the top six, has made him a recurring subject of discussion among supporters of the clubs he has managed.[5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cj65gr79982o) • [6](https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/extremely-harsh-john-eustace-future-093138632.html)
## References
1. [John Eustace – Derby County official profile](https://www.dcfc.co.uk/teams/player/john-eustace)
2. [John Eustace player profile, Sofascore](https://www.sofascore.com/football/player/john-eustace/10555)
3. [John Eustace manager profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.com/John-Eustace/profil/trainer/57225)
4. [John Eustace manager profile, Sofascore](https://www.sofascore.com/football/manager/john-eustace/787591)
5. [John Eustace: Derby County name Blackburn Rovers boss as new head coach, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cj65gr79982o)
6. ["Extremely harsh": John Eustace future verdict as Derby County endure dismal Championship start, Yahoo Sports / The 72](https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/extremely-harsh-john-eustace-future-093138632.html)
7. [John Eustace stats and career, FotMob](https://www.fotmob.com/players/23309/john-eustace)
8. [Club statement: John Eustace, Birmingham City](https://www.bcfc.com/news/all/club-statement-john-eustace)
9. [Eustace 4-2-3-1 Blackburn 2024/25 (FM24 Tactic), FM Scout](https://www.fmscout.com/a-john-eustace-blackburn-fm24-tactic.html)
10. [Football Agent Transactions 2 February 2024 to 3 February 2025, The FA](https://cdn.carlisleunited.co.uk/sites/default/files/2025-04/football-agent-transactions-2024-2025.pdf)
11. [Eustace glad 'drama is over' after Derby takeover collapse, BBC Sport via Yahoo](https://nz.news.yahoo.com/eustace-glad-drama-over-derby-165444820.html)
12. [Can Eustace turn Derby's season around?, EFLChampionship.co.uk](https://eflchampionship.co.uk/club-news/can-eustace-turn-derby-s-season-around)
13. [Eustace calm despite Derby's winless run, EFLChampionship.co.uk](https://eflchampionship.co.uk/club-news/eustace-calm-despite-derby-s-winless-run)
14. [John Eustace Stats – Derby County Manager, FootyStats](https://footystats.org/managers/england/john-eustace)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Managers and coaches › English managers and coaches › Historic English managers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license