Huddersfield Town head coach Liam Manning takes compassionate leave for the remainder of the 2025/26 season, confirmed in a statement.
Liam is taking time away from his professional duties with the full support of the club, and in the meantime, the men’s First Team will be overseen by Martin Drury and Jon Stead.
Manning took a short leave of absence from his role in charge of Bristol City manager when his baby son Theo died.
Men’s First Team Head Coach Liam Manning has been granted compassionate leave for the remainder of the 2025/26 Sky Bet League One season.
Liam has the full support of everyone at Huddersfield Town, and we will remain in regular contact with him and those close to him.#htafc
— Huddersfield Town (@htafc) March 25, 2026
Sending all our love to Liam and his family. ❤️
— Bristol City FC (@BristolCity) March 25, 2026
Sending our best wishes to Liam and his family 💛
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) March 25, 2026
CLUB STATEMENT:
Huddersfield Town Men’s First Team Head Coach Liam Manning has been granted compassionate leave for the remainder of the 2025/26 Sky Bet League One season.
Liam has made the Club aware of ongoing personal matters relating to the tragic passing of his newborn son Theo in October 2024, and he will now be given time away from his professional duties.
Liam, his wife Fran, their eldest son Isaac, and the entire Manning family have the full support of everyone at Huddersfield Town, and we will keep in regular contact with Liam and those close to him.
We ask that the privacy of Liam and his family is respected during this time.
Our Men’s First Team will be led jointly by Martin Drury and Jon Stead for the remainder of the 2025/26 season, with ongoing support from our wider existing Men’s First Team staff.
If you, or someone you know, have been affected by child bereavement, the following organisations may be able to help. Please click the links below to access their websites.
– Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice
– The Compassionate Friends
– Barnardo’s Child Bereavement Service
– Child Bereavement UK
– Winston’s Wish
To view and save the Club’s Health and Wellbeing Directory complete with the details of resources both locally and nationally, please CLICK HERE.
In March 2025, Liam spoke via The Guardian on losing Theo. He returned to the dugout two weeks after Theo’s death, a mosaic was held up by fans, reading “Fly High”, with Section 82, a supporters’ group, raising money for a huge banner that read “Theo John Manning”, with surplus funds donated to local charities.
His wife, Fran, was in the chairman Jon Lansdown’s executive box with their young song Isaac, aged 6 at the time, along with Manning’s close friend and agent, Scott.
Liam said: “When you’re in a stadium with 25,000 people, trying to find a bit of privacy is not easy. It’s something I’ll never, ever forget.”
On a quick return to the touchline, he replied: “You can only sit around the house and cry for so long. I’m a fighter. I didn’t have a playing career, so I’ve had to scrap to get where I am. I’ve been through a huge amount, so it’s made me quite tough.
“And it was two-way, right? What the fans did was incredible. It was important for me to show them my appreciation and the way I can do that is being on the touchline driving their club. It was my way of giving back a little bit. I know there were a few reservations from a few people: ‘Is it too early?’ But it just felt right.”
“The pregnancy was relatively straightforward. I shot off from here, Fran spent the whole Friday night in labour and our little miracle was born on the Saturday morning. I did the Cardiff game on the Sunday. I went back [to the hospital] on the Monday, because we were off, and came home. Monday to Friday was the short time I had with him.
“It still cuts me up, I still think about it every day, still have real low moments. Immediately afterwards I was going to quit. I spoke to my wife about it and it was: ‘If I do something, I’m all-in.’ That first week was: ‘I’m done. I’m away too much, it’s too much. I’ll do a different job where I can be more present.’ If I want to do this properly and be successful, it has to be 7am til 7pm, and I’m taking a huge amount of time away from my family.
“But as time went by I quickly established that I needed purpose. My wife saw that I was cleaning, cooking, running … I started baking. I just had to keep my mind busy.
“We quickly learned you grieve in different ways. We’re such a tight unit in terms of understanding that as time went by she went: ‘You’re going to need to go back and do what you’re doing.’ I’m fortunate in how supportive she is – she’s been incredible. She’s incredibly strong, an amazing woman.”
Manning, who sadly the loss of his dad when he was 11, wants to help others. “Especially us as blokes, we tend to withdraw – and I’m not saying I haven’t done that, by the way – but I think this is almost a bit of therapy for me to put it out there. Hopefully, it helps somebody open up or reach out to a counsellor and get support or think: ‘Yeah, I will get back to work.’ It’s about letting people know it’s OK to find your own way. For people who have been through it or will go through it in the future: you are not alone, talk about it and know there is support.”
On counselling sessions, with the help of the League Managers Association: “I wanted to speak with someone straight away and the LMA were phenomenal. Normally they recommend waiting a few months but I wanted to start that process because I knew we were going to need it. They connected us with a fantastic person who has been very helpful for me and Fran, just to understand the journey we’re going to go through and strategies to help. We jump on [to a video call] together. It has helped us cope, vent – it’s been quite important.”
He and his partner took to tennis court, and going to beaches near Weston-super-Mare with the dogs. “We’ve gone down there just to get fresh air, cold air, the noise of the waves, walk, kind of empty our heads. That’s been a big thing for us as a family, escaping out there to unwind, unload a little bit. We take a football down and Isaac tears around the beach.”
On his son Isaac: “Trying to maintain a level of normality in his world we felt was really important, which is tough. How do you release emotions? Where do you do it? We’ve told Isaac everything all the way – he’ll talk about Theo now and look for robins [City’s nickname], stars, different reminders. We still want to talk about him and be a part of our family.”
Asked whether on his return was it hard to take his job as seriously as previously? “Elements of it were difficult. I really struggled on away trips, being on my own, sitting on the bus, hotels were tough. Days out there, smiling, feeling like you shouldn’t. Tough. There’s no rulebook. If you feel crap, you feel crap, if you feel a bit better one day, great.”
On the tributes, messages of support, advice: “Even now after games players come up and say: ‘I’m really sorry for your loss.’ It was a reminder of perspective because we get so wrapped up in the day-to-day … it will be a hole in my heart for the rest of my life.”
He has also helped a former international who experienced something similar. “When you’re in it there and then you kind of go: ‘How do I get over it? How am I going to feel better?’ It just feels so dark. When people reach out, it gives you hope things will get better.” How did he get out of that hole? “Am I out of it, I don’t know?”
“No 1 was making sure Fran was OK. I would call her before training, straight after training.”
On Chris Hogg, his assistant, who managed the team for two matches in Manning’s absence: “Probably the hardest one to talk about,” he says, a smile unfolding on his face. “First and foremost I couldn’t have a better friend. He was one of the first people I called to speak about it. Eight hours later he’s knocking on my door, having made the four-hour journey from Ipswich. He walked in, gave us all a hug, walked out and that was it, which speaks volumes of him as a person. He just gets it; he is comfortable with it being quiet, just being present or playing with Isaac. He doesn’t feel like he has to be doing something.”
On the memory of Theo and helping others: “There will be other people who have been through similar situations or experienced what we’ve gone through,” he says, “but we feel very fortunate and blessed to be able to share Theo’s name with the wider world.”
Social media users sent their best wishes as Huddersfield head coach Liam Manning takes compassionate leave for the remainder of the season…
@AlanBiggs1: Recall looking into Liam Manning’s eyes for a couple of post match interviews at his two previous clubs. I was asking football questions when what I was really thinking was: “This isn’t important, how do you get over that?” Thoughts with Liam & family.
@takesthatchance: Sending our best to the Manning’s. 💙🩶 A truly awful thing for any parent to have to go through.
@norwich_updates: Wishing Liam and his family all the best 🙏💛
@DarrenAR94: Mental health and the family comes first. 💙 hopefully the lads step up and make him proud 💪🏻.
@NobleofLiam: As much as we all love football and want the club to do well, it’s always Family First no matter what. No one in their right mind can argue with this decision from himself and the club, which I’m sure won’t have been an easy one to do.
@awaydaytown: Excellent from the club. Hope he gets all the support he needs. Wish him all the best.
@PrestonTerrier: As a parent, losing a child is my worst nightmare. I can’t even begin to imagine what Liam and his family are going through. I hope that we, as a club can rally around him, show him support and welcome him back with open arms when the time is right for Liam. #htafc
@MattWatts96: Best wishes to Liam and huge credit to Huddersfield. ❤️ As a society, we still need to normalise people (especially men in ‘macho’ industries such as football) struggling/grieving in the years after a tragic event. 👊 #HTAFC #EFL
@AlfieHouseEcho: Horrible to read that this tragedy is impacting Liam Manning to this point a couple of years on. Understandably so, of course. I hope he and his family have all the support and help they need.
@KarenKarenell: Wishing Liam and all his family all the best and hope they get the very best help and support. I sadly doubt that the abusive keyboard warriors show any kind of remorse and empathy. Always remember that you never know what someone is going through emotionally and physically 💙🤍
@rhys_limbert: Losing a child can’t be an easy thing to get over. Wishing Liam and his family all the best. Looking forward to seeing him back for pre-season. UTT ⚽💙🤍
@_YorkshireLass_: Wishing Liam and family my best wishes. Life is more important than football and especially family 🔵⚪️🔵⚪️
@uk2288: His mental well being has to come first along with his family. All the best to all of them. UTT.
@TerrierNigel: A reminder to all HTAFC fans that it is OK to not be OK👌🏼life is full of ups and downs and it’s important to speak up if you are struggling. Well done to Liam Manning for doing what’s right for him. My thoughts are with him and family at what must be an incredibly difficult time
@TheExiledRobin: Very sad to hear and realise how much suffering is still happening. Thoughts with him and his family ❤️
@RWatership: Sad to hear that, hope he gets himself into a better place. An awful experience to go through and you never know how you’re going to cope with it
The football world is with you, Liam and family 💙 pic.twitter.com/dzwhtNOsmT
— The72 – We Love the #EFL (@_The72) March 25, 2026