{{short description|English footballer and manager}} {{BLP sources|date=December 2012}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Use British English|date=November 2019}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Paul Ashworth | image = Paul Ashworth.jpg | caption = Ashworth in 2008 | fullname = Paul Anthony Ashworth | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|09|29|df=y}} | birth_place = Norwich, Norfolk, England | height = | position = | currentclub = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Norwich City | years1 = | clubs1 = | caps1 = | goals1 = | manageryears1 = 2001–2003 | managerclubs1 = Ventspils | manageryears2 = 2004 | managerclubs2 = Riga | manageryears3 = 2005 | managerclubs3 = Rostov (caretaker) | manageryears4 = 2005–2009 | managerclubs4 = Skonto Riga | manageryears5 = 2015 | managerclubs5 = Sunshine Stars | manageryears6 = 2015–2018 | managerclubs6 = Ventspils | manageryears7 = 2020 | managerclubs7 = Astana (caretaker) }}
'''Paul Anthony Ashworth'''<ref>{{WorldFootball.net|paul-ashworth}}</ref> (born 29 September 1969<ref name="Ex-Canaries">{{cite web|url=http://www.ex-canaries.co.uk/players/ashworth.htm |title=Flown From the Nest - Paul Ashworth |publisher=Ex-canaries.co.uk |date=1969-09-29 |accessdate=2012-12-10}}</ref>) is an English football manager who was most recently technical director of Russian Premier League club Spartak Moscow.
Ashworth had previously played at youth level for Norwich City before setting up PASS Soccer Schools. He later worked for Cambridge United and Peterborough United before moving to Latvia where he managed Ventspils, Riga and Skonto Riga as well as taking over at Russian side Rostov as sporting director.
Ashworth worked as a technical director for Kwara Football Academy in Nigeria from 2010 to 2014. He was manager and technical director of Sunshine Stars, a Nigerian Premier League team for six months, before moving back to Latvia as head coach of Ventspils.
==Playing career== Ashworth came through the youth system at Norwich City, where he played for the side at schoolboy level. He did not make the step up to the first team, though, but began to coach the youth teams at the club.<ref name="Ex-Canaries" />
==Youth coaching career==
===Soccer Schools=== While Ashworth was at Carrow Road, he set up his own company, PASS Soccer Schools.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/buxton_man_is_coaching_nigeria_s_top_footballing_talent_1_925832# |title=Buxton man is coaching Nigeria's top footballing talent | work = Eastern Daily Press |publisher=Edp24.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2012-12-10}}</ref>
===Cambridge United=== In 1992, Cambridge United offered Ashworth a role as youth development officer at the club's Abbey Stadium.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kitcarsonfootball.com/news/copy7_of_lorem-ipsum-is-simply-dummy-text-of-the-printing |title=Paul Ashworth |publisher=Kitcarsonfootball.com |date= |accessdate=2012-12-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303204120/http://www.kitcarsonfootball.com/news/copy7_of_lorem-ipsum-is-simply-dummy-text-of-the-printing |archive-date=3 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Managerial career==
===Ventspils=== In a league dominated by multi-championship winning side Skonto Riga, Ashworth secured two consecutive runners-up finishes, a Latvian Cup triumph and steered his squad into the UEFA Cup for the first time. In subsequent seasons, they also played Finnish side HJK Helsinki and Swiss club Lugano, winning their first European match.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/025a-0eaafd4b556d-b53c4db9b8a9-1000--ventspils-hit-prime-form/ |title=UEFA Europa League 2002/03 - History - Ventspils-Lugano – |publisher=UEFA |date=2002-08-15 |access-date=2012-12-10}}</ref>
===Rostov=== Having previously been unsuccessfully interviewed for the vacant managers position at Russian Premier League club Rostov, Ashworth was approached by the president of the club offering him the position of Sporting Director. He accepted the role and was responsible for all of the football side of the club such as youth policy, transfer policy, dealing with visas and international players, research and building of new training facilities as well as liaison with the manager on first team matters. After taking charge temporarily for two matches, he became the first Englishman ever to coach in the Russian Premier League.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/football/features/newsid_4174000/4174763.stm |title=English coach hits the heights in Russia |publisher=BBC News |date=2005-01-14 |access-date=2012-12-10}}</ref>
===Skonto Riga=== It was during this period that he self titled himself as "The Mourinho of Latvia", simply due to not being good enough to play professionally in senior football.<ref name="icnewcastle.icnetwork">{{cite web|url=http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/newcastleunited/news/tm_objectid=17539001&method=full&siteid=50081&headline=-mourinho-of-latvia--does-his-bit-name_page.html |title='Mourinho of Latvia' does his bit |publisher=Icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk |date=2006-08-10 |accessdate=2012-12-10}}</ref>
===Kwara Football Academy=== In 2009, Ashworth moved to the position of technical director of Nigeria's only residential football academy, The Kwara Football Academy. Based in Ilorin, it takes talented youngsters from the ages of 13 to 21 and trains them as professional footballers while allowing them to get educated at the same time. Ashworth now{{when|date=December 2012}} has a staff of nine coaches and more than eighty full-time staff under his tutelage, and has developed excellent facilities and training programmes<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.betscout.com/soccer/news/2011-06-06/interview-paul-ashworth--from-norwich-city-to-nigeria |title=INTERVIEW: Paul Ashworth – From Norwich City to Nigeria |publisher=Betscout.com |date=1969-09-29 |accessdate=2012-12-10}}</ref>
===Astana=== On 14 January 2019, Astana announced the appointment of Ashworth as their new executive director.<ref>{{cite web |title=Пол Эшуорт – новый исполнительный директор Астаны |url=http://fcastana.kz/rus/news/8799 |website=fcastana.kz |publisher=FC Astana |accessdate=14 January 2019 |language=Russian |date=14 January 2019 |archive-date=14 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114210252/http://fcastana.kz/rus/news/8799 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Following the dismissal of manager Michal Bílek on 26 August 2020, Ashworth was appointed acting head-coach of Astana.<ref>{{cite web |title=Михал Билек покинул свой пост |url=https://fcastana.kz/news/mikhal-bilek-pokinul-svoyi-post |website=fcastana.kz/ |publisher=FC Astana |accessdate=31 August 2020 |language=Russian |date=26 August 2020}}</ref> Ashworth left his role as caretaker manager and executive director by mutual consent on 7 October 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=Пол Эшуорт покинул Астану |url=https://fcastana.kz/news/pol-eshuort-pokinul-astanu |website=fcastana.kz/ |publisher=FC Astana |accessdate=7 October 2020 |language=Russian |date=7 October 2020}}</ref> === Managerial statistics === ''As of 27 August 2021'' {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" |- !rowspan="2"|Team !rowspan="2"|From !rowspan="2"|To !colspan="5"|Record |- !G!!W!!D!!L!!Win % |- |align=left|Ventspils |align=left|1 January 2001 |align=left|9 July 2003 {{WDL|76|53|7|16}} |- |align=left|Rīga |align=left|1 January 2004 |align=left|31 December 2004 {{WDL|28|6|9|13}} |- |align=left|Rostov (Caretaker) |align=left|23 April 2005 |align=left|2 May 2005 {{WDL|2|0|1|1}} |- |align=left|Ventspils |align=left|14 September 2015 |align=left|16 January 2018 {{WDL|74|38|17|19}} |- |align=left|Astana (Caretaker) |align=left|27 August 2020 |align=left|7 October 2020 {{WDL|8|3|2|3}} |- !colspan="3"|Total {{WDLtot|188|100|36|52}} |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Soccerway|paul-ashworth/431179}}
{{Navboxes |title= Paul Ashworth managerial positions |list1= {{FK Ventspils managers}} {{FC Rostov managers}} {{Skonto managers}} {{FC Astana managers}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashworth, Paul}} Category:1969 births Category:People from Aylsham Category:Living people Category:Alumni of Newcastle University Category:English men's footballers Category:Norwich City F.C. players Category:Men's association football players not categorized by position Category:English football managers Category:Cambridge United F.C. non-playing staff Category:FK Ventspils managers Category:FC Rostov managers Category:Skonto FC managers Category:Sunshine Stars F.C. managers Category:FC Astana managers Category:Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. non-playing staff Category:Latvian Higher League managers Category:Russian Premier League managers Category:Nigeria Professional Football League managers Category:Kazakhstan Premier League managers Category:English expatriate football managers Category:Expatriate football managers in Latvia Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Latvia Category:Expatriate football managers in Russia Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Russia Category:Expatriate football managers in Nigeria Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Nigeria Category:Expatriate football managers in Kazakhstan Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Kazakhstan