Exclusive: Aberdeen candidate Fotheringham wants to bring a German philosophy back to UK

Few coaching stories have followed the path trodden by Mark Fotheringham and he firmly believes his destiny is to manage at the highest level of the game.

This 40-year-old Scot admits his passion for tactics, formations and man-management was sparked long before he hung up his boots for the last time in 2019, with his vision for what lies ahead focused around working in England’s Premier League or Germany’s Bundesliga.

Right now he is being linked with the Aberdeen job after Neil Warnock walked away from his short-term spell.

With his perspective on the game opened up by a spell playing in Germany for Freiburg during the early days of his playing career, Fotheringham took his talents to Switzerland and Greece, as well as playing for a host of clubs in his native Scotland and England.

Yet as he sat down with Football365 for an exclusive interview, it was clear that he believes his achievements as a player will be usurped by what he expects to achieve as a coach.

“As I got towards the end of my career, I got really interested in tactics and I was always taking notes on the tactics and the training methodology of the managers I was working under,” begins Fotheringham, who has worked with coaching gurus such as Felix Magath in a career that saw him have a spell in charge of Championship side Huddersfield last season.

“Without being disrespectful, it felt a lot of the time that whenever I was involved with Scottish teams as a player it was all about effort and endeavour.

“There was never a focus on tactical challenge or the mental intelligence to play the game and I always had that from growing up at Celtic and working under some fantastic coaches there. They developed us to be ready for European football and I took that with me throughout my career.

“There was a lot of hype around me when I was young and coming through at Celtic, but I never really fulfilled my potential, but I never really discuss that now because I am so focused on what I do as a coach. I know that this is my area now. This is where my expertise lies.

“From an early age, I developed a real passion for coaching and I suppose you could say I got addicted to it. Probably because I knew I was good at it.”

Fotheringham’s unflinching belief in his coaching abilities shines through during our interview, with this proud Scotsman looking back on his time in German football as the trigger for what he hopes will be a thriving coaching career.

“When I went to Freiburg, everything clicked for me,” he reflects, looking back on a move back in 2005. “That was when I became a real professional in terms of my diet and everything around the game.

“We talk about all the innovations in the game now, but my coach at Freiburg, Volker Finke, was doing everything we see now 20 years ago and he opened my eyes to what the game was all about.

“The game was so tactical in Germany. It was like chess. We had different training methodologies and my fitness levels went through the roof. You have to put yourself through the hard work to reach the top and that German mentality had a big impact on me.”

Fotheringham developed a big network of respected contacts in German football and former Fulham manager Felix Magath is his great mentor.

Magath’s time in English football was marred by negative media coverage that suggested his unusual methods were not welcomed by the players under his watch, but Fotheringham offers an alternative view of the coach he assisted during his time at Craven Cottage.

“People might say he is crazy, but I would say he is crazy-talented,” said Fotheringham of the veteran German tactician, who also took him to Hertha BCS as his assistant in the Bundesliga in 2022.

“He is crazy in respect that he does things most coaches can never do. It is such an honour to work with him and such an honour to be able to pick up the phone and talk to him at any time.

“Felix always says to me that he will always be there for me if I ever need anything and that is what is like as a person. He is a real family man.

“It is not easy to work with him because he pushes you to the limits, but that helps you to be ready for the challenges that will come your way as a manager.”

Fotheringham’s first experience as a frontline manager came when he accepted the role as Huddersfield Town boss in September 2022 and while he was sacked the following February, he believes he showed what he was capable of during his time as Terriers boss.

“I went to Germany to challenge myself and it was always in the back of my head that I could transport this brand of football to the UK as a manager, similar to what the top Germany coaches like Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel have done in England,” added the tactician, who was working as a scout for Jurgen Klinsmann during his recent stint as South Korea boss.

“When the opportunity came up at Huddersfield, some people in Germany said it was a suicide mission due to the limited resources, but I wanted to work with the young players and believed I could bring success.

“I went in there ready to work with the staff that was already there and that was a mistake because the assistant had an agenda and possibly wanted my job, so it was even more remarkable that I was able to win games and stabilise the situation.

“I came away from Huddersfield even more confident in my own abilities now and I can’t wait to get back in and get a team promoted in England or work in the Bundesliga in Germany. It’s just about getting a chance now.”

Confidence is not lacking for a young coach who is convinced he is ready to blend Scottish and German footballing philosophies and achieve success alongside the game’s modern greats.

Now all he needs is a chance to prove he can deliver where it matters most. He might well get it at Aberdeen.