Paul Warne: MK Dons boss on lessons learned in his career

For a manager approaching his 450th game, and with four promotions behind him, it is perhaps odd that Paul Warne still finds himself affected by impostor syndrome.

The former Rotherham United and Derby County boss is now in charge at MK Dons and looking to reverse a decline in the club's fortunes since the high of a season in the Championship a decade ago.

The city now has a population of close to 300,000 and with the government considering proposals for further expansion in the area, it can certainly support a club above League Two level.

It's a big challenge but not one Warne is fazed by and he has found ways of coping with the self doubt which has affected him throughout his career in football.

"I suffer from impostor syndrome quite a lot. I didn't turn pro until I was 23 so I never 100% believed I was good enough to be a professional footballer, but weirdly that motivated me to train harder than anybody else," the 52-year-old told BBC Look East.

"Now I sometimes meet managers after a game and feel like a fraud, but I read leadership books all the time, I listen and read and try to improve, and having that impostor bit is possibly the bit that drives me on - I don't mind that."

Warne was appointed by MK Dons in April, two months after being sacked by Derby, and he oversaw the final four games of a disappointing season, three of them ending in goalless draws and the other a 1-0 win at Crewe.

A 19th-place finish, though, was definitely not what the club's Kuwaiti owners wanted and 10 signings were made over the summer in the hope of at least being in contention for the play-offs again, which the club reached in 2023-24.

They are currently fifth under Warne, having won four successive games before a disappointing 2-1 loss at Bromley in their final game of last month.

He admits that his brain is connected to football "every waking hour" and the burden of trying to win promotion can be exhausting.

So, although Warne is surrounded by players and coaching staff for most of the week, he thinks it important to make time to be alone with his thoughts - running from the training ground to Stadium: MK after every morning session being one way of doing so.

"I think as a leader of men you have to show discipline - I ask my team to run and train hard so I think it's a good example to them that I'm not a hypocrite. But fundamentally I enjoy it and it gives me a little bit of escapism," added Warne, who will reach the 450-game mark against Salford City on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

"That half an hour run back, I normally have my headphones in, I don't have anyone asking me any questions, it's a bit of selfish, mindfulness time before the chaos starts in the afternoon. It's one of my things."

Warne is also a big fan of NFL and happy to 'steal' ideas from it if he thinks it will help in his own job, and especially the relationships with his players.

"I've been watching documentaries on the NFL for years and I like how the Americans are a lot freer with their emotions than the stiff English," he said.

"I saw something the Detroit Lions had done about celebrating a first touchdown so when lads score their first goal for me I get them a mug with a picture of their goal on it.

"They do have Victory Mondays which I like to give the lads if we don't have a midweek game and we win (at the weekend), I like to give them a Victory Monday - they don't come in, there's nothing I can give the lads more than time.

"From the end of June, after they've done their closed season programme, they're with me possibly to the end of May, that's a long time - 11 months, so if I can give them any extra time off to be with their families, I think it's great. I definitely stole that off the NFL as well."

There are lessons carried forward and passed on from Warne's playing career too.

"I played for a Scottish manager when I was in non-league at Diss Town and he kept messaging really simple, he would always tell me to shoot for the far post," he said.

"If I ever didn't he'd tell me straight away after games and that, as well as my dad, who'd always say 'even if you aren't the best player, you should never be outworked' has always stuck with me."

Warne has Richie Barker and Darren Potter as his chief lieutenants at MK Dons and believes one of the keys to successful football management is to surround yourself with good people.

"At times, they don't even need me here, and I don't mind saying that. If I wasn't here for a week I don't think anyone would really notice," he joked.

"All I have to do is have relationships with my players and staff, make them feel valued and worthy.

"I know there are other managers who are brilliants coaches, some are brilliant motivators, there's all different ways, but the way I've always tried to do it is just empower people to do their job if they're better at it than me."

Winning a fifth promotion is Warne's priority but he admits the burden and responsibility to do well does take a toll.

"When the final whistle has gone on virtually all my promotions, my celebrations haven't been great, I've just gone in my own office, locked the door and had 10 minutes to think 'oh, the relief, I'm just exhausted'," he said.

"(But) I know that if they get promoted and they have their kids on the pitch and all that, and I can stand at the back and watch it, that is literally unmeasurable joy for me so that's what keeps me going."

"My mate in the village always said to me 'what's your five-year plan, 10-year plan', I'm not like that I just live in today I don't know what tomorrow looks like, so I have this insatiable desire to try, with the chairman's support who's been brilliant with me, and get this club to somewhere - and even if I play a little step on that road, great."

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