Former Wolves, Millwall and Swansea City manager Kenny Jackett dies aged 64

Former Watford player and manager Kenny Jackett has died at the age of 64, it has been announced.

Jackett also had spells in charge of Millwall, Swansea City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Rotherham United, Portsmouth and Leyton Orient during a lengthy managerial career.

As a player he made 428 appearances for the Hornets and earned 31 caps for Wales.

His final role in the game was as director of football at Gillingham before he stepped down for medical reasons in November 2024.

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Sad news

Watford chairman and chief executive Scott Duxbury said: “There is a deep and profound sense of loss at the football club following the sad news Kenny Jackett has passed away.

cKenny holds legend status here following his remarkable achievements as a player, a coach and a manager, and the club has truly lost one of its own.

“On behalf of everyone at Watford FC, I send my sincere condolences to his wife Samantha and sons David and Ryan, the latter of whom is working with us today, building on the legacy his father left.”

The son of Frank Jackett, also a former Watford player, Kenny came through the youth ranks at Watford and was a key member of the side that rose to prominence under Graham Taylor in the 1980s.

Watford earned promotion to the First Division in 1982, finished second in the top flight the following year and reached the FA Cup final in 1984.

Comfortable in midfield or defence, he also scored 34 goals for the club but was forced to cut short his playing career due to injury at the age of 28.

Hailed

He moved into coaching and managed Watford in the 1996-97 season before going on to achieve promotions with Swansea, Millwall and Wolves.

His longest managerial stint came at Millwall, where he oversaw 306 games from 2007-2013.

A statement from the club read: “Kenny Jackett will forever go down as one of Millwall Football Club’s greatest managers and a man who gave Lions fans moments to remember for life.

“The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Kenny’s family and friends at this very sad time.”

Jackett was hailed by Swansea, where he was in charge from 2004-07, as the manager “responsible for starting the club on its remarkable rise from the bottom tier to the top flight”.

Deeply missed

A statement added: “He will be deeply missed by all who knew him, but our club and the game of football as a whole has been all the better for his presence.

“He will always have a special place in the hearts of Swansea fans, and his place in the history of our club is not in doubt.”

Wolves said Jackett would “be forever remembered as the man who started the club’s rise from the third tier of English football into European title chasers” following his appointment in 2013.

“If not for the foundations he laid at Molineux, Wolves may never have reached those dizzying heights they have experienced in more recent years,” a statement added.

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