Following in Luis Enrique's footsteps

It seems to be somewhat of a trend that many of Europe’s up and coming teams are choosing to entrust their futures in the hands of hungry, young managers. We only have to look at Barca to see how successful the appointment of Luis Enrique has been at the Camp Nou.

After successfully winning the Copa del Rey, La Liga and Champions League in his first season as manager, Enrique has surpassed all expectations. Regardless of the talent that he has as his disposal, Enrique’s style of play suits Barca down to the ground, and is without doubt a contributing factor to their immediate success under the ex-Barcelona playmaker. Which means that this transfer window will be even more interesting as Enrique looks to bolster Barca’s ranks with talents such as the recently signed Arda Turan and French wonderkid Paul Pogba.

With his success, many young managers will have undoubtedly been inspired by Enrique’s achievements and hope to reach the same heights as the young Spaniard in the future. In this feature we will discuss three of the most exciting managers plying their trades in some of the English and Scottish leagues.

1. Aitor Karanka (Middlesbrough – Championship)

The ex-Real Madrid centre half made his name in coaching when he oversaw the Under-16 Spain team for a short period where he garnered praise for his innovative thinking as a coach. He also knows how to build relations in the game, and this has worked in his favour. After befriending Jose Mourinho, he has relied on the Portuguese tactician for a steady stream of loan signings that have significantly bolstered his playing ranks at Middlesborough.

Now with the addition of Stewart Downing from West Ham for a reported £5.5 million, chairman Steve Gibson is showing that he is willing to back Karanka and his philosophies in his bid to get the Teeside club back in the big league.

2. Garry Monk (Swansea – Premier League)

Arguably one of the managers of the year last season, the young and ambitious Monk guided the Swans to a very credible 8th place finish. After having the unenviable task of taking over after a successful Michael Laudrup reign, Monk manager to continue the club’s progression, and solidify their status as a permanent fixture in the Premier League.

Probably the most impressive fact about last season was, even after losing top goalscorer Wilifred Bony to Manchester City in the January transfer window, Monk was able to get the best out of French striker Bafétimbi Gomis. The robust striker contributed seven league goals to help the Swans finish high up the table.

3. Ronny Deila (Celtic – Scottish Premier League)

After spending his entire playing career in Norway where he made 352 league appearances for clubs such as Strømsgodset and Viking, you could be forgiven for not being familiar with Ronny Deila. However, regardless of his achievements in his homeland, Deila remained a relative unknown in Europe until he took over at Scottish champions Celtic in 2014. In his first season in charge he managed to win the Scottish Premiership and Scottish League Cup.

Although Celtic’s arch rivals Rangers are yet to win promotion back to the Premier League, it was an impressive feat for a manager who had no previous affiliation to the Scottish league. And with great momentum from last season, Deila and his team are expected to mount a serious challenge on all fronts again this season.

Do you think Barcelona's treble-winning year was down to Luis Enrique's influence?

Are there any other young managers you have been impressed with? I'd love to hear your views. Share your comments with our community in the box below.