Cowley’s career advice for young reporter

with Leeds United. Then, at the end, he was posed a question by a young schoolgirl who was having a VIP day out at the game.

She asked: “What’s it like to be manager when you are under pressure?”

Cowley smiled and replied: “Ooh, I think that’s a definite no comment!”

Then he continued: “It’s tough, because you know you carry a lot of people’s expectations on your shoulders.

“You don’t have control over everything, you can only control some things and not others.

“What you always have to try to do is believe in your processes and, for us, we always believe in our work ethic, our skill set and the methods.

“We know that if we do that over time then the results will turn and maybe the pressure will release a little bit, but when you are a football manager you live with pressure 365 days a year – but I like pressure, I don’t know what I would do without it because it drives me.

“I love the pressure and I love football and I remember my dad saying to me at a very young age to make sure I did well at school so that I could do a job I love.”

Cowley then had the room in uproar. “It must be horrible for people who have to get up and go to a job they don’t enjoy, so keep working at school, get all your qualifications and then you can become a journalist and it’s really easy!” he told his young questioner.

“All you have to do is sit at your computer, drink tea or coffee, and you have always got hindsight on your side - so you can always tell people how to do it!”