Brian McDermott (footballer)
A football lifer who rose from lower-league midfielder to become a shrewd manager, winning promotion and cups with a keen eye for undervalued talent.
Born 1961 (age 65)·Association football player and manager·Birthday: April 8·Baby Boomers
Biography
Brian McDermott's story in football is one of resilience and reinvention. His playing career was that of a dependable, hard-working midfielder, mostly in England's lower divisions with clubs like Arsenal, Oxford United, and Cardiff City. But his true impact came from the touchline. After scouting for and managing the reserve team at Arsenal, he found his calling at Reading, first as chief scout and then, in 2009, as manager. With a budget-conscious, pragmatic approach, he performed minor miracles. He led Reading to the Championship title and Premier League promotion in 2012, a feat built on team cohesion and smart signings. Even more memorably, he guided the club to an FA Cup quarter-final victory over mighty Arsenal in 2012, a symbolic triumph over his former club. His later managerial spells at Leeds United and in MLS with the San Jose Earthquakes were tougher, but they didn't diminish his reputation as a thoughtful, honest football man who maximized what he had. Now a consultant, his deep knowledge of the game remains his currency.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Brian was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Brian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led Reading FC to win the Football League Championship in 2012, securing promotion to the Premier League.
- Managed Reading to a historic FA Cup quarter-final victory over Arsenal in 2012.
- Won the Championship Manager of the Month award a record seven times during his tenure at Reading.
- Served as a key scout and reserve team manager for Arsenal during Arsène Wenger's early tenure.
Did You Know?
He began his playing career as an apprentice at Arsenal but made only one first-team appearance for the club.
Before returning to football management, he worked as a milkman after his playing career ended.
He is of Irish descent and was considered for the manager position of the Republic of Ireland national team in 2013.
His brother, Ray McDermott, is also a former professional footballer.
“You have to earn the right to win, and that comes from the work you do every day.”
