jamie vardy is part of the wider story around Andy Mangan’s fast-moving coaching rise, with the former Shrewsbury Town forward now set for a World Cup role with Brazil. Mangan, who is preparing to travel to this summer’s tournament in the USA, Mexico and Canada, will work as an opposition analyst under Carlo Ancelotti, with Davide Ancelotti as assistant.
The move caps a remarkable route for Mangan, whose coaching path has been shaped by his friendship with Davide Ancelotti, first formed during a UEFA Pro Licence course in Newport, Wales. His story also includes a failed 2018 switch to Real Madrid because of a work permit issue, followed by a spell with Botafogo that opened the door to Brazil’s World Cup set-up.
How the Brazil opportunity took shape
Mangan’s connection with Davide Ancelotti became the turning point. After the pair grew close during their coaching course, the link helped bring a deal with Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid in 2018, but that move collapsed before he could make it happen.
He described the setback as devastating, but said he chose to move on and keep working. That response led him back into club football, where he continued to develop his coaching approach before Davide Ancelotti called again with a fresh opportunity.
In July last year, Mangan was appointed assistant manager at Brazilian club Botafogo. Working alongside Davide, the pair helped the team finish sixth, secure a place in the Copa Libertadores preliminary rounds, and go unbeaten in their final 10 matches.
What jamie vardy has to do with the story
jamie vardy appears in the framing of the wider football conversation around Mangan’s rise, but the concrete story is Mangan’s route from Shrewsbury to Brazil’s World Cup staff. The former Salop striker played two spells at the club, making 59 league appearances, and his career later moved into coaching after retirement.
During his time at Shrewsbury, Mangan scored in a League Cup win over Leicester City and later equalised late on against Chelsea before Salop were beaten. He also helped Micky Mellon’s side win promotion to League One, before returning to the club in 2016 after a spell at Tranmere Rovers.
Immediate reaction and what comes next
Mangan spoke openly about the frustration of the failed Real Madrid move, saying he was devastated before deciding to keep going and build on the experience he had already gathered. That resilience now places him in one of the highest-profile roles of his coaching career.
He was at Wembley last week scouting England, who Brazil could face in the quarter-finals. With the tournament approaching in the USA, Mexico and Canada, the next stage for Mangan is clear: join Brazil’s staff and help prepare for opponents at the World Cup, with jamie vardy remaining part of the headline alongside a much bigger coaching journey.
