Forest Green Rovers boss Robbie Savage says he is ‘miles away’ from managing Wales, despite his passion for his country. He praises current Wales manager Craig Bellamy and focuses on his role at Forest Green, emphasizing his commitment to learning and developing as a manager.
Robbie Savage, the current Forest Green Rovers boss, has downplayed any immediate prospects of him managing the Wales national team. Despite his deep passion for his country and a desire to one day lead the Dragons, the 50-year-old acknowledges he is still in the nascent stages of his managerial career.
Savage, a former Wales midfielder with 39 caps, took over the reins at Forest Green in July 2023. Prior to that, he managed non-league side Macclesfield FC, initially as a caretaker boss. His move to Forest Green marked a significant step up, and he's keen to prove his credentials in the National League.
Forest Green has enjoyed a strong start to the 2025-26 season, currently sitting joint-top of the National League. This impressive form has inevitably led to speculation linking Savage with clubs higher up the football pyramid. However, he insists that such talk, including suggestions of him potentially managing Wales in the future, is premature.
"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 said during an interview on the Feast of Football podcast. He added, "Listen, I've had one season managing at step three and I got 109 points - well, we got 109 points."
Savage is pragmatic about his current position and the journey ahead. "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," he stated.
He further revealed that he's been linked with EFL jobs, but he only found out about the speculation 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," Savage admitted.
Savage's approach to management is centered around collaboration and continuous learning. "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," he explained.
In a recent National League Cup match against Wolverhampton Wanderers Under-21s, Savage's tactical maneuver raised eyebrows. He made four substitutions in the first minute to exploit a loophole in the regulations. This ensured that he met the requirement of fielding at least four players who started the previous league game while simultaneously giving those players rest ahead of crucial league fixtures.
"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 clarified. "For me, the most important thing is to be ready for the Saturday [league games]."
Despite his extensive playing career, Savage is realistic about his chances of managing at the highest 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.
He expresses gratitude to Dale Vince, the Forest Green owner, for giving him an opportunity. "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 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," Savage added.
Regarding the Wales national team, Savage praised the work of current manager 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. "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."
Savage remains focused on his role at Forest Green, committed to repaying the faith shown in him and developing his managerial skills. While the Wales job may be a long-term ambition, his immediate priority is to guide Forest Green to success.