'Another celebrity boss? No, I've earned my chance'

Robbie Savage says he wishes he had turned down Strictly Come Dancing until after his coaching career - to avoid being labelled "another celebrity manager".

Former Wales midfielder Savage, who featured on the hit BBC show in 2011 shortly after his playing career ended, has guided Rovers to second in the National League.

They also landed arguably the pick of the ties in Monday's FA Cup first-round draw - a trip to League One side Luton Town and their new boss, ex-England midfielder Jack Wilshere.

Appointed in July after success in his first managerial role at Macclesfield, Savage remains best known for his media profile and punditry - and will be back in the spotlight for that plum tie, his maiden FA Cup first-round game as a head coach.

"Looking back now, would I have done Strictly before I was a manager? Probably not - that would probably have come after," Savage, 50, told BBC Points West.

"But I'm a personality and I believe I'm an infectious character who tries to get the best out of people.

"I'm just a normal manager - an inexperienced manager giving it his best with a great staff. I'm just a passionate man who cares about whichever club he's at.

"[Some might ask] 'Oh, is it another celebrity manager?' No - I'm a hard-working individual who loves football, who's earned the opportunity."

Based in Nailsworth, which has a population of less than 6,000, Gloucestershire club Forest Green were taken over by green energy pioneer Dale Vince in 2010.

After a rapid rise, they spent seven seasons in the English Football League before relegation in 2024-25 and defeat in last season's play-off semi-final.

Vince has raised Forest Green's profile by implementing eco-friendly initiatives such as making Rovers all-vegan and winning recognition from the United Nations as the world's first carbon-neutral football club in 2018.

Savage's 22-year-old son Charlie - who has since joined Reading and been capped by Wales - spent the second half of the 2022-23 season on loan at Forest Green from Manchester United.

"Dale's brilliant," said Savage, who played 346 Premier League games for Leicester City, Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers and Derby County.

"We get on so well. I knew him from when Charlie was here. He cares.

"The food's high in protein, it's high in fibre. It's a brilliant football club run by passionate, caring people who want you to do well, so I've embraced everything.

"Dale's not employing me because of my profile. He said he didn't know I was a celebrity - I was Charlie's dad.

"That's nice, because he's appointed me because of what I did as a player and what I did as a manager."

Savage has eight wins and just one defeat from his first 14 league matches with Forest Green, as well as guiding them into the FA Cup first round proper thanks to Monday's 4-1 victory at sixth-tier Worthing.

He likens the spirit at Rovers to the connection he enjoys with ex-England striker Chris Sutton as part of co-hosting duties on BBC Radio 5 Live football phone-in 606.

"Myself and Chris have a great camaraderie and togetherness, and that's what I've got with my players and staff," he said, praising the "warmth" and "friendliness" of people in the Cotswolds.

"The training ground's amazing. It's a beautiful part of the world to live in. It can be a bit lonely at times without your family, but that's one of the sacrifices you make as a manager.

"I'm a football person who's been addicted to, and obsessed with, football all his life. I don't fear failure - never have.

"My two boys, Charlie and Freddie, said to me when I was going to take the job, 'what's the worst that can happen? You can get the sack, but give it your best shot'.

"I said: 'Do you know what? Yeah, that's right.'"

Before Savage takes on Wilshere, he will turn 51 on Saturday with a National League trip to a Carlisle United side managed by his "hero" Mark Hughes.

Hughes was ending his decorated Manchester United career while Savage was a prospect at Old Trafford, and later became his manager with Wales and Blackburn.

"What a game for us," said Savage, predicting that more than 10,000 fans will watch Forest Green against opponents level on points with them.

"On my birthday, top of the table and against my hero. [But] It's not about me, it's about my players - all I want them to do is play with freedom, belief, confidence and have a go."

Savage and his squad have already shown an impressive ability to keep their composure and outclass potentially difficult opponents backed by sizeable partisan crowds.

"I said to the boys 'do yourselves proud - your family will be watching'," he reflected of the win at Worthing, which was televised live on TNT Sports.

"It was [many of the players'] first time on TV and we knew we'd drawn Luton. What a chance to play Luton Town away. Hopefully we'll be on TV again.

"Worthing had a great crowd but it's always nice when you get stick and you can turn round and you've won 4-1.

"It's a tough place, being a manager. You can get criticised and hammered and the songs being sung about you aren't nice, but then if you turn around and do a fist pump because you've scored, you're the bad guy."