Top Seven Longest Serving Premier League Managers in History

The English Premier League is the most competitive and watched league around the globe. The English top-flight features top clubs, top players and top managers, making it one of the most interesting leagues to follow and watch. 

Just like it is accustomed in football that managers are the first to take the fall if results don’t go the club’s way. The same is the case in the English Premier League, the league is centre to a lot of managerial changes each season. 

But that is not the case for each manager as some tacticians defy expectations and stay at a club for an extraordinary amount of time, becoming cult heroes in the process. Join us as we take a look at the top seven longest-serving Premier League managers in history. 

7. Rafael Benitez (Liverpool, 2004-2010) 

The Spanish manager joined Liverpool from Valencia on 16 June 2004. Rafa Benitez enjoyed a very successful six-year run at the club, managing a total of 350 matches. The Spanish manager won the UEFA Champions League at the end of his first season as Liverpool manager. 

Benitez was unable to deliver the Premier League title, but the Reds did also win the FA Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FA Community Shield during his time managing the club. Since then, he has managed Newcastle United and Liverpool’s direct rivals Everton in the Premier League. 

6. Harry Redknapp (West Ham United, 1994-2001) 

Harry Redknapp is a very key figure in Premier League history. The English manager managed sides like Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, QPR, Birmingham City and West Ham United. 

Redknapp became the West Ham manager on 10 August 1994 and he crafted one of the best Hammers’ side in history. During his tenure, academy youngsters like his nephew Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick broke through at the club. While many foreign stars like Paulo Di Canio, Slaven Bilic and Frederic Kanoute were brought to the club. 

He helped the club win the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1999, which directly led the club qualifying for the UEFA Cup for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Harry Redknapp is a very key figure in Premier League history. The English manager managed sides like Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, QPR, Birmingham City and West Ham United. 

Redknapp became the West Ham manager on 10 August 1994 and he crafted one of the best Hammers’ side in history. During his tenure, academy youngsters like his nephew Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole and Michael Carrick broke through at the club. While many foreign stars like Paulo Di Canio, Slaven Bilic and Frederic Kanoute were brought to the club. 

He helped the club win the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1999, which directly led the club qualifying for the UEFA Cup for the first time in nearly 20 years.

5. Joe Kinnear (Wimbledon, 1992-1999) 

Often overlooked in the list of best managers in Premier League history, Joe Kinnear remains one of the most underrated managers in history. His Wimbledon side often defied odds and overcame top clubs and sides. 

The Dons finished in the top half of the Premier League table on multiple occasions under Kinnear. He even led them to a top-six finish in the 1993-1994 season. Wimbledon suffered relegation from the Premier League, just one season after Kinnear left the club. The Dons are still yet to return to the English top-flight since then. 

4. Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool, 2015-2024) 

Jurgen Klopp became the Liverpool manager on 8 October 2015, taking the reigns from the outgoing Brendan Rodgers. He became the manager of a club that had failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League that season and were constantly underperforming. Klopp helped in the revival of the sleeping giants.

In just his first seven months at the club, his side reached both the UEFA Europa League and Leagues Cup final, setting the bar for the rest of his reign. Under Klopp, the club signed the likes of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Allison and Andrew Robertson. 

He improved all players massively and won the UEFA Champions League title, the Premier League title, one FA Cup, two EFL Cups, one FA Community Shield, one UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup. He stepped down as the Liverpool manager at the end of the 2023-24 season. 

3. David Moyes (Everton, 2002-2013)

David Moyes took over from Walter Smith as the manager of Everton in March 2002. Under him, the club managed a fourth-place finish in the league in 2004–05. His Everton side impressed every season, beating heavyweights and title contenders. 

Moyes’ team was known for their defensive solidity and steadiness. His reign at Goodison Park lasted an impressive 4,096 days. He was handpicked by Sir Alex Ferguson to replace him at Manchester United. But unfortunately, that run didn’t go as planned, the Scottish manager has managed Real Sociedad, Sunderland and West Ham United since then. He even won the UEFA Europa Conference League title with West Ham United: 

2. Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United, 1992-2013) 

Often regarded as the best manager in Premier League history and one of the best managers in the entirety of football, Sir Alex Ferguson is truly one of a kind. 

He spent a total of 7,640 days in charge at Old Trafford, winning an incredible 13 league titles, five FA Cups, four League Cups and two UEFA Champions League titles. Known for his man-management skills and ability to rebuild squads, Sir Alex Ferguson will go down as one of the most influential people in Manchester United’s history. 

The Scottish manager stepped down at the end of the 2012-13 season and Manchester United are still yet to win the Premier League title since that season.