Forest Green boss Savage 'miles away' from managing Wales

Forest Green Rovers boss Robbie Savage says he is "miles away" from consideration as Wales head coach, but says he would like to manage his country one day.

The 50-year-old former Wales midfielder is still early in his fledgling management career, taking over Forest Green in July, having previously managed non-league side Macclesfield FC - initially as caretaker boss - since 2023.

Rovers have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the season, with the Gloucestershire side winning six and drawing three of their nine National League matches so far in 2025-26.

That success has led to Savage being linked with taking over at clubs higher up the football pyramid, but he says such speculation is hugely premature - including mentioning him as a future Wales boss.

"Of course you would [like to be Wales boss], you're a passionate Welshman. Of course I would, but I'm miles from that future," Savage told the Feast of Football podcast.

"Listen, I've had one season managing at step three and I got 109 points - well, we got 109 points.

"I've had nine games in the National League and we're joint top. And I've had two games in the National League Cup and we've won two.

"So I'm a million miles away from being a league [English Football League] manager, a Championship manager, Premier League manager, Wales manager. I know that.

"I've been linked with the EFL jobs recently, you know the first I heard of it was when it was online.

"But I know where I am right now and if somebody said to me now, right, go and manage a team in the Championship in front of 25,000 fans, I'm not ready.

"I would turn them down because I'm not ready. I need to do well for Forest Green and show the faith they've shown in me and I'm going to make loads of mistakes.

"I stand in front of my players and say, 'I'm going to make lots of mistakes guys, I need your help and you need my help and we're going to make mistakes together'.

"But we can't learn if you don't make mistakes and I let them speak, I ask them, 'what do you think guys?', because it's their game, they're involved in it.

"As a manager, I think the biggest thing for me is that I'm willing to adapt, I'm willing to learn, I'm willing to listen to my players."

Savage enhanced his managerial reputation further in Tuesday night's 3-2 EFL Cup win over Wolverhampton Wanderers Under-21s.

It was not even for the result, as Savage raised eyebrows with four substitutions in the first minute to exploit a loophole in the rules for National League Cup matches.

All clubs, barring those from the Premier League, must name at least four players who started the previous league game in their line-up.

Forward Tom Knowles, winger Kyle McAllister, left-back Neil Kengni, and centre-back Abraham Kanu took the pitch, but were all hauled off just one minute after kick-off - with the quartet now fresh for Saturday's league trip to Woking and then another to Altrincham the following Tuesday night.

"I know it's raised eyebrows and some people are saying it's not right, but the competition's great for our youngsters, but also our lads need minutes and there's competitions we want to win," Savage explained.

"For me, the most important thing is to be ready for the Saturday [league games].

"It's [the EFL Cup] a competition that we've entered and we want to win and it's a competition for our young players.

"But where it becomes a bit frustrating is that because you've made four subs in the first minute - when I'm giving minutes to the young lads who haven't played regular football - I've only got one sub left for 89 minutes.

"So I think it's [the regulations] stopping my young players play."

Former Manchester United trainee Savage won 39 caps for Wales during a playing career that saw him play for club sides including Leicester City, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers and Derby County.

Despite his vast experience as a player, Savage says he doubts whether he will even manage at Premier League level.

"I'm a realist, I'm honest, I don't think I'll ever manage in the Premier League. Why? I just don't think I will, I just don't, because the type of character I am and the personality, you know," he said.

"And this is why I'm so thankful for Dale [Vince, Forest Green owner]... because as a person, as somebody who's owned a football club... there might be a fear factor of it employing me as a manager because I might be too big a character.

"They want to work with somebody of my character, you know, I'm going to embrace that.

"But I know I won't manage in the Premier League. Could I manage in the Championship? Yes. Could I get there with Forest Green? A possibility because of the plans and the project they've got.

"And I I owe it to Dale, Mark [Bowen, director of football] and Asif [Rehmanwala, vice-chairman] to give my best for their football club because they've given me an opportunity, as I owe it to Rob Smethurst at Macclesfield because he gave me an opportunity and I repay people.

"I repay people, regardless of what people think of me, I don't care."

While Savage has distanced himself from the Wales role, he is impressed at the job being done by current incumbent and former Wales team-mate Craig Bellamy.

"The results have been very, very good. I remember the first [against Turkey], was it the first game when he said that'll be the worst it'll be," Savage said.

"I don't think the performance against Kazakhstan [in a World Cup qualifier] was great, but it's a win. It was a great win.

"We've been to those places... they're all very, very tough games. That was a brilliant win.

"Craig's got his methods, you know he's passionate and he's done very, very, very well. There's no doubt about that and I wish him all the best... because it's my country - it's the country that I grew up in."