Bristol Rovers have confirmed the appointment of Iñigo Calderón as the club’s new Head Coach, becoming the first man from outside the British Isles to take the reigns at the club.
The Spaniard joins on a two-and-a-half year contract, taking the step up to lead a senior side for the first time in his coaching career.
When discussing the appointment, Bristol Rovers’ director of football George Friend said: “I am delighted to welcome Iñigo to the club and have him on board as our new Head Coach. Iñigo is someone I have followed for a long time, both as a player and as a coach, and he already has a thorough understanding of English football and the culture of the game here.” Friend also described Calderón as “an excellent coach” who “is full of character, ambition and enthusiasm.”
Prior to his career in coaching, Calderón had a lengthy playing career. He began in Spain’s Segunda División B, playing for Alicante, where he stayed for three seasons, in which the club consistently made the promotion play-offs but were unable to earn promotion. He then returned to the club he had represented in his youth, Deportivo Alavés in 2007, who were in the Segunda División at the time.
While at the club, Calderón began to complete two degrees. The first was in sports science, which he completed by age 24, before following that with a sports psychology masters at age 26. This showed that Calderón was already trying to prepare for a any potential career that lay after his playing days.
England soon beckoned, as he signed with Brighton and Hove Albion in January 2010, with the club in League One at the time. He initially signed until the end of the season, but impressed at the club enough to earn a three-year contract. The following season, Calderón was a vital cog in Brighton’s promotion, which earned him a spot in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2010-11 season.
Calderón spent a further five years with the Seagulls, before leaving for Cyprus in 2016, by which time he had become a club legend. His career lasted for another three years, with included a move to India in 2017, where the Spaniard won the Indian Super League before hanging up his boots in 2019.
That would not be the last football would see of Calderón however. Over the last few years of his career, he had earnt a UEFA Pro coaching badge, and was ready to put it to good use. He returned to Spain and to Alavés immediately after his retirement, holding various coaching positions at the club before leaving in 2023, when he returned to England and familiar surroundings in Brighton. There, he took the reigns of their under 18 side, enjoying much success, and transforming the Seagulls into one of the best youth sides in the country.
Calderón’s appointment is an appointment of firsts, both for himself and the club appointing him. For Calderón, it is an opportunity to take charge of a senior side for the first time, and allow him to embark on what he hopes will be a long and successful coaching career. For Bristol Rovers, it marks a new direction for the club, who for the first time ever have appointed a manager or head coach who was not born in the UK or Ireland. The hope is that the fresh approach will come with new ideas which can help pull the club away from the trouble it finds itself in, and can build the platform for success both now and in the future. There is certainly some risked involved, but both parties believe that the decision will bear fruit in the weeks and months to come.