Britain's youngest football manager at Yaxley FC gives up having girlfriend to chase managing top flight club

Meet Britain's youngest football manager whose never had a girlfriend and has only just moved out from his parent's home.

While most 21-year-olds are playing FIFA with their mates or taking their girlfriends to Nando's, budding gaffer Sammy Mould is solely focused on his fledgling career.

Sammy took over the reigns at lowly Yaxley FC near Peterborough, Cambs, earlier this year despite his tender age.

The Northern Premier League side were rooted to the bottom of the Midlands Division with zero wins in 24 games when he took over.

But despite his fresh face, Sammy's already led the team - including some players 15 years his senior - to its first win since joining and its first cup final in over five years.

‘I want to manage in the premier league’

Sammy said: "It's been a bit of a whirlwind in all honesty.

"I'm quite a confident person- I deserved the job. I was the best person to take it.

"Some of the players I mentor through my coaching company were in the team and so I knew a lot of them coming in.

"The manager who also knows me well thought I was the best person for the job, despite my age.

"I'm happy to be given the opportunity to show what we can do.

"I want to manage at the highest level I possibly can.

"I want to manage in the premier league. I don't hold back from that, ultimately that's what I want to do.

"I will do everything I possibly can - whether that's six in the morning or 10 o'clock at night - to make things happen to get to that point.

"And I have full faith I can get to that point."

For Sammy, chasing that dream means sacrificing things young men of his age would enjoy, including a night down the pub with mates.

‘Relationships sacrificed for career’

He added: "You have to sacrifice if you're going to be successful at football. You have to be driven.

"I've never really had a girlfriend, I'm not someone with like 50 friends who go down the together. I have a small circle of friends who I trust 100%.

"Friendships and relationships have been sacrificed for my career."

The ex-Luton academy player was just 20 when he was offered to become the youngest manager in the top nine tiers of the English football pyramid.

And while he admits some fans didn't take him to him straight away because of his age, he feels his youth means he can understand the "new generation" of footballers.

‘I can relate to lads coming through’

Sammy added: "My Twitter DMs are full of troll messages. I have somebody message me three or four times a week saying 'I hope you die in a hole'.

"As a player, I played first team football quite young, so it doesn't really bother me.

"I can relate to these lads coming through more than the generic, gruff Eastender football manager can.

"Some older generations don't understand the new generation coming in. It's harder to deal with 18 and 19-year-olds than ever.

"For example, my keeper was getting massively abused online and getting called all sorts of things.

"You've got to deal with it - with teenagers, these comments sink into their minds. I can relate to that."

Sammy's career as a defender took a dramatic turn in 2021 after a Covid-19 vaccine caused blood clots in his lungs and stopped him from playing football professionally.

And he has his sights firmly set on one day managing teams in the top flight of English football, like his managerial icon Pep Guardiola.

‘I’ve had to be ruthless’

He said: "He presents himself well in interviews, I think it's important that you speak well.

"There's a massive obsession with getting a 50/60yo gruff bloke to speak to players.

"Players don’t enjoy it, that’s the reality. They don’t like the hard-edge characters. You have to earn your spot. I think my youthfulness and open-mindedness helps that.

"I get asked about if I have problems leading a lot. I've led since I was young, always been the captain of my team.

"I'm quite happy to speak my mind to the players and other managers.

"I get asked a lot how I deal with older players having just turned 21.

"Ultimately it's about what you know and if you know your stuff and there's value behind what you're saying and it make sense, you'll do well.

"People know if you're a blabber in football. I always knew it as a player and ultimately I've got older players in my team who I like to think respect what I say.

"When I joined, the team wasn't good enough - that wasn't a secret.

"I've had to be ruthless. I'm here to win - irrespective of my age. The club lost 24 games in a row.

"We don't have the contact time with the team to gel them as a group but we've still got to win. Until it's mathematically impossible to win, we're going to keep going.

"We've already improved. We've had a lot of attention quite quickly, it puts added pressure on the club appointing me but I'm enjoying it.

"Starting now will give me more experience than most in managing, I may be able to wrack up 800 games as a manager by the time I'm 30."