'Another celebrity boss? No, I've earned my chance'

Robbie Savage says he wishes he had turned down Strictly Come Dancing until after his coaching career - to avoid being labelled "another celebrity manager".

The Forest Green Rovers boss is eyeing a first appearance in the FA Cup first round as a head coach when his side visit sixth-tier Worthing on Monday (19:30 BST).

Former Wales midfielder Savage, who featured on the hit BBC show in 2011, shortly after ending his playing career, has guided Rovers to second in the National League.

Appointed in July after success in his first managerial role at Macclesfield, Savage remains best known for his media profile and punditry - and will be back in the spotlight for the final match of the fourth qualifying round.

"Looking back now, would I have done Strictly before I was a manager? Probably not - that would probably have come after," Savage, 50, told BBC Points West.

"But I'm a personality and I believe I'm an infectious character who tries to get the best out of people.

"I'm just a normal manager - an inexperienced manager giving it his best with a great staff. I'm just a passionate man who cares about whichever club he's at.

"[Some might ask] 'Oh, is it another celebrity manager?' No - I'm a hard-working individual who loves football, who's earned the opportunity."

Based in Nailsworth, which has a population of less than 6,000, Gloucestershire club Forest Green were taken over by green energy pioneer Dale Vince in 2010.

After a rapid rise, they spent seven seasons in the English Football League before relegation in 2024-25 and defeat in last season's play-off semi-final.

Vince has raised Forest Green's profile by implementing eco-friendly initiatives such as making Rovers all-vegan and winning recognition from the United Nations as the world's first carbon-neutral football club in 2018.

Savage's 22-year-old son Charlie - who has since joined Reading and been capped by Wales - spent the second half of the 2022-23 season on loan at Forest Green from Manchester United.

"Dale's brilliant," said Savage, who played 346 Premier League games for Leicester City, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers and Derby County.

"We get on so well. I knew him from when Charlie was here. He cares.

"The food's high in protein, it's high in fibre. It's a brilliant football club run by passionate, caring people who want you to do well, so I've embraced everything.

"Dale's not employing me because of my profile. He said he didn't know I was a celebrity - I was Charlie's dad.

"That's nice, because he's appointed me because of what I did as a player and what I did as a manager."

Savage has eight wins and one defeat from his first 14 league matches with Forest Green, likening the spirit there to the connection he enjoys with ex-England striker Chris Sutton as part of co-hosting duties on BBC Radio 5 Live football phone-in 606.

"Myself and Chris have a great camaraderie and togetherness, and that's what I've got with my players and staff," he said, praising the "warmth" and "friendliness" of people in the Cotswolds.

"The training ground's amazing. It's a beautiful part of the world to live in. It can be a bit lonely at times without your family, but that's one of the sacrifices you make as a manager.

"I'm a football person who's been addicted to, and obsessed with, football all his life. I don't fear failure - never have.

"My two boys, Charlie and Freddie, said to me when I was going to take the job, 'what's the worst that can happen? You can get the sack, but give it your best shot'.

"I said: 'Do you know what? Yeah, that's right.'"

Monday's hosts Worthing are 16th in the National League South and will be playing their first match since the reappointment of manager Adam Hinshelwood.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion defender led The Rebels to the FA Cup first round and the play-off final during the final season of his first spell in charge between 2017-24.

Savage has not scrutinised Hinshelwood's team too closely because he believes Rovers have concentrated too much on their opponents amid a run of two draws and a 1-0 defeat at home by Rochdale on October 4.

"The [TNT Sports] cameras are there because everybody thinks it's going to be an upset," said Savage, adding he "understands" that because he played in the early stages of the competition with Crewe Alexandra, who he joined in 1994 after starting his career at Manchester United.

"It's a brilliant competition. [But] I've not even thought about Worthing. It's all about us.

"We know where they are in the table and how they play, but I'm not showing my players videos of Worthing. We're going to give the utmost respect to a good side."

The draw for the first round proper will take place shortly before kick-off at the 4,000-capacity Sussex Transport Community Stadium, where Savage does not expect the artificial pitch to prove a levelling factor.

"It's the same for both sides and you can play fantastic football on it," he explained.

"No excuses. If we get beaten by Worthing, I'm not going to blame the surface."