Scarborough's Darren Arnott thriving in Hong Kong managerial role
Darren Arnott has come a long way from coaching after-school football clubs at Scarborough Sixth Form College, he has worked in five different countries across three continents on his way to his current role managing the Hong Kong Under-20s and Under-23s national teams.
The 39-year-old said: "My first memories of coaching are at Scarborough Sixth Form, working with after-school clubs, at a time when I was really struggling with injuries and couldn’t compete, so I found it a good way to stay involved due to my love for the game.
"After college I studied at Manchester Metropolitan University (Cheshire) for a BSc in Coaching with Sport and Exercise Science. As part of that I got the chance to go to Crewe Alexandra and coach for practical experience.
“Upon graduating I moved to Chicago, through the MLS Camps programme. This allowed me to work with multiple clubs and age groups. After some time I progressed in my role and extended my time there.
"As a consequence of performing well I was given the opportunity of a more permanent role with a club in Michigan. Along with some other English coaches we developed the club - an elite travel club - to a really good level. This five-year experience, along with my degree gave me a really good foundation for coaching.”
In the summer of 2018 Leeds United offered Arnott a full-time role with the U23s, working alongside Danny Schofield and with Carlos Corberan, with the U23s operating side-by-side with first-team players in Marcelo Bielsa’s squad.
Arnott said: "I was really fortunate to be working at Leeds United in the period and position I was in. To be that close to a footballing genius in Bielsa and be part of what - after our play-off disappointment in the first season - became a historical promotion and return to the Premier League was amazing.
"Not only that, but to win the National Championship with Carlos Corberan and the U23s at Elland Road and see so many of the players progressing to train with, and even play for, the first team was what a coach dreams about. It was an incredible period for all involved and a real learning experience. I developed so many skills and was challenged in so many ways. The volume of work that went into that environment is difficult to describe, but the lessons I’ve learned - some of which I’m still unpacking now - have helped shape my coaching style and beliefs.”
Looking for a new challenge, Arnott accepted a position as assistant head coach with Norwegian top-flight side Stromsgodset in January 2021.
"After moving to Norway with current Sheffield Wednesday Head Coach Henrik Pedersen, the landscape shifted pretty quickly with the manager leaving during pre-season.
"While the club opted to put a dual-management team in place, I was given the responsibility to lead and had full exposure to what being a manager at that level entails.
"I was responsible for planning, delivery, analysis, medical co-ordination and leadership, among other things. It was a really good experience and we produced some amazing moments across the two seasons, including a Norwegian FA Cup semi-final against Molde."
In early 2023 Leeds employed Arnott to lead the U16s and assist with the U18s, but it was not long before the chance to manage Hong Kong’s U20s and U23 teams arose and the Scarborough-born coach was on his travels yet again.
He said: “My main responsibilities with Hong Kong lie in being Manager of the U20 and U23s teams and programmes, and I’ve also been assisting the Senior Team. My main roles focus on coaching the teams and preparing them for international competition.
"These age groups make it difficult to get players together to train as a cohesive unit due to their involvement in first-team football or playing competitively overseas.
"Our contact time is limited so we have to be really concise and accurate when we get together. There’s a large focus on match preparation and analysis, preparing the teams to try to win. As is normal with this type of role, there is a large responsibility to work with - and guide - the wider multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) such as sports scientists, analyst and psychologists.
"I have also spent time working with the analysis department and have at times jumped across to support coach education too. There is a lot of scouting, either in person or through video, and liaising with club staff to keep tabs on the current form and fitness of the players who will come to us to represent Hong Kong, China.
"Working with boss Ashley Westwood, we had a really good journey with the Senior Team, winning the EAFF qualifying tournament and progressing to the finals in South Korea where we faced Japan, Korea Republic and China. Japan and Korea both were in the top 25 in the world rankings, with China in the top 100. It was an amazing experience to go up against teams of such quality.
"We also got to face Manchester United at Hong Kong Stadium, during their well-publicised post-season tour of Asia. On top of that we achieved 10 wins across 15 months, including a record seven consecutive wins and increased the rankings, climbing in the world rankings to 147.
"Our first home game of the AFC qualifying campaign was the opening of the brand new Kai Tak stadium which cost around £2.8billion to build - with retractable roof and air conditioning. It was a great occasion - we had 50,000 proud fans filling the stadium and we won with virtually the last kick of the game. The stadium was crazy and it was an amazing moment for everyone involved.
“However, our campaign unfortunately ended in heartbreaking fashion. Our AFC group was quite tight with India, Singapore and Bangladesh. We were unbeaten and top of the group coming into our penultimate fixture at home to Singapore. Because the main tie-breaker is head-to-head and not goal difference, the winner of this match would qualify. With only one team advancing, there was a lot on the line.
“We led and had some incredible chances to double the lead, but ultimately we didn't. In the space of around seven second-half minutes we went from 1-0 up to 2-1 down. We lost the game and failed to qualify—a real dent in all the work that had gone before and the improvements that had been made.
"I’ve worked in several different cultures now – that’s something that formed the basis of my first research project for the Elite Coach Accreditation Scheme (ECAS) that I’m part of thanks to the English Premier League - and the Hong Kong culture is very different to others I’ve experienced.
"When you work overseas, you’re not adapting to one culture – you’re navigating three. The culture of the place. The culture of sport. And the culture of football itself. You then have to look at, and adapt to, the disparity between the league's level and the international competition you will face. In some places that disparity is minimal, but here - while the game is developing - it’s quite large. That presents many challenges to overcome when competing on the international stage.
"For someone who didn’t play professionally I’ve always sought out environments where I think I can contribute something and can also gain some valuable experience or new learning from.
“From there you try to adapt and adjust with the new skills you have, aiming to become a better version of yourself than before. I think it’s the best way - up-skill yourself where possible to ultimately provide a higher level of support for the players.”