English soccer manager and former player most famous for his years as the manager at clubs like Wigan Athletic, with whom he won the Football League Second Division title in 2003, as well as Derby County and Ipswich Town. As a player, he was a striker for Wigan Athletic, Bradford City and Grimsby Town.
He was born in Liverpool and attended De La Salle School. He was an apprentice at Liverpool from 1982 to 1984.
In 2007, he was suspended twelve months for verbally insulting referee Phil Dowd during a match against Arsenal.
He married a woman named Anne-Marie, with whom he has a son named Sam and a daughter named Alex.
He managed goalkeeper Roy Carroll during his time at Derby County.