Russell Martin

Russell Kenneth Alexander Martin (born 4 January 1986) is a professional football manager and former player who is the manager of EFL Championship club Southampton.

He represented Scotland at international level.

A former defender, Martin began his playing career at Brighton & Hove Albion's youth academy.

He established himself at Wycombe Wanderers in 2004, before moving to Peterborough United in 2008.

Martin joined Brighton & Hove Albion's youth academy before leaving by mutual consent in early 2004 to join Isthmian League Division One South side Lewes.

He then had trials with several clubs, including Charlton Athletic.

Martin joined Wycombe Wanderers in 2004.

He made his debut in a 2–1 home victory over Cambridge United on 7 August 2004, then went on to make ten more appearances during the 2004–05 season.

Ahead of the 2006–07 season, Martin signed a new two-year contract with the club.

In the following season, he played in the League Two semi-final against Stockport County, which Wycombe lost 2–1 on aggregate.

On 29 May 2008, Martin moved to Peterborough United, who had just been promoted to League One.

He signed a three-year contract.

Martin became the club's youngest ever captain after taking over from Craig Morgan.

In his first season at Peterborough, Martin captained the club to gain promotion to the Championship.

Following Mark Cooper's appointment as a replacement for Darren Ferguson in November 2009, Martin joined Norwich City on loan.

Martin joined Norwich City in 2010 and made 309 appearances for the club.

He then had brief spells with Rangers, Walsall and Milton Keynes Dons.

On 4 January 2010, his transfer was made permanent and he joined Norwich on a 2 1⁄2-year contract.

Martin scored his first goal for Norwich in the 3–1 defeat to Doncaster Rovers, with a diving header on 14 September 2010.

He scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Championship league leaders Queens Park Rangers on 1 January 2011, and a last-minute equaliser against Cardiff City, leading fans to dub him "the Cafu of the Championship" or "the Norfolk Cafu", in honour of Cafu.

On 7 May 2011, he was the runner up for the Norwich City Player of the Year award to winner Grant Holt, in a season where he played every minute of each game.

After an impressive first season in the Premier League with Norwich, filling in well at centre back during some games, Martin signed a new three-year deal in June 2012.

On 29 December 2012, Martin scored two goals against Manchester City in a 4–3 home defeat.

During his playing career, Martin won five promotions (including two Premier League promotions) and was named in the 2014–15 Championship Team of the Year by the Professional Footballers' Association.

Although born in Brighton, England, Martin played in 29 internationals for Scotland.

Martin has been a vegan since 2014, initially for health reasons as he sought to manage issues with ulcerative colitis.

He is also a part-owner of Erpingham House, the largest vegan restaurant in the UK.

In a 2018 interview, he stated that he had joined the Green Party of England and Wales.

He is also a proponent of Buddhism.

He moved into management in 2019 with Milton Keynes Dons and became head coach of Swansea City in 2021.

Two years later, he was appointed manager of Southampton.

Martin was born in Brighton, East Sussex, to parents Dean and Kerry.

He has two older brothers, Jamie and David, and a younger brother, Pepe, while his parents also fostered.

His father was a taxi driver who subjected Martin's mother to domestic abuse and had spent periods of time in prison.

His father's gambling addiction saw the family lose their house in Hollingbury, moving to Hollingdean.

His father coached his son's football teams.

Martin was educated at Varndean School then Varndean College, achieving A-Levels in history, PE and drama.

Prior to signing with Wycombe he was cleaning pub toilets in the mornings prior to school, then working in Spar in the evenings.

Martin established a charitable foundation in his hometown of Brighton, initially set up as a football academy, named the Russell Martin Foundation.

The charity aims to use "the power of football to help change people's lives" by providing access to football, education, and health courses in the local community.