Kenny Jackett: Former Wolves, Millwall and Portsmouth manager dies aged 64
Former Wolverhampton Wanderers, Millwall and Portsmouth manager Kenny Jackett has died at the age of 64.
Wolverhampton Wanderers confirmed the news on their official channels.
Jackett enjoyed a highly successful managerial career in the English Football League (EFL) after a distinguished playing career spent entirely with his hometown club, Watford.
Most recently, he served as director of football and strategic development at Gillingham, before health problems forced him to step down in November 2024.
Born in Watford, Jackett progressed through the Vicarage Road academy under the legendary Graham Taylor, becoming a cornerstone of one of the most memorable eras in the club’s history.
A one-club man, the midfielder made 428 appearances for the Hornets, placing him among their all-time leading appearance makers. He also earned 31 international caps for Wales.
After injuries forced a premature end to his playing days, Jackett transitioned immediately into coaching at Watford. He progressed from working with the youth teams to serving as assistant manager, before eventually taking the top job.
Jackett’s first major managerial breakthrough came at Swansea City. During the 2004-05 campaign, he guided the Swans to promotion from League Two, alongside winning the Football League Trophy and lifting the FAW Premier Cup twice.
He moved to Millwall in 2007, successfully securing promotion to the Championship via the League One play-offs in 2010.
In 2013, Jackett was appointed manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers following the club’s consecutive relegations to League One. He instantly transformed the club’s fortunes, restoring pride at Molineux and orchestrating a record-breaking title win with 103 points. The following year, Wolves narrowly missed out on the Championship play-offs, finishing seventh.
Following his departure from Wolves in 2016, Jackett had a brief spell at Rotherham United before taking over at Portsmouth. He spent four years at Fratton Park, twice guiding Pompey to the League One play-offs and winning the EFL Trophy at Wembley with a victory over Sunderland in 2019.
He later managed Leyton Orient before taking up his final executive role at Gillingham.
