David Lowe

David Anthony Lowe (born 30 August 1965) is an English football coach and former player and coach.

As a player, he was a right winger; he made 563 league appearances, scoring 133 goals, in a career spanning 17 years. He played in the top five levels of English football. He notably played in the Premier League with Leicester City as well as in the Football League for Wigan Athletic, Ipswich Town, Port Vale, Wrexham and Rushden & Diamonds. He was capped twice by the England under-21s.

Following retirement, he turned his hand to coaching. He initially worked for the Professional Footballers' Association before re-joining Wigan as a coach under Paul Jewell. He later spent time with Derby County and took charge of the first team for one game in January 2009. He has since worked for both Manchester United and Tranmere Rovers. He coached at Blackburn Rovers and became caretaker manager in February 2025.

Playing career Wigan Athletic Having had brief spells with Liverpool and Everton, Lowe began his career as an apprentice at Wigan Athletic on a recommendation by a teacher from his school league days to then Wigan manager Harry McNally. He was capped at England Youth level. Lowe made his first-team début in October 1982 against Reading. Bryan Hamilton then took charge at Springfield Park for the 1985–86 season and led the club to within one place and one point of promotion. Ray Mathias then took the club to the newly created play-offs in 1986–87, where they were defeated by Swindon Town.

Ipswich Town In June 1987, Lowe was transferred to Ipswich Town for £80,000. He stayed at Vale Park for the rest of the season and scored twice in nine games as the club battled unsuccessfully to avoid exiting the Second Division at the opposite end to Ipswich. Lowe had scored 42 goals in 169 appearances for Ipswich Town in all competitions. In a pre-season friendly against Borussia Mönchengladbach, one of his first games for the "Foxes", he broke his cheekbone. In a surprise move, former boss Ray Mathias then returned to the club following a nine-year absence. Lowe hit three goals in 23 games in an injury-plagued 1998–99 campaign, as Wigan reached the play-offs, where they were defeated by Manchester City. He also held the club record for most League goals (66) until this was surpassed by Andy Liddell in 2003.

Wrexham Released by Wigan in June 1999, Lowe made the move to Second Division rivals Wrexham on a two-year deal, where he was offered a player-coach role. He scored six goals in 16 games.

Coaching career After retiring as a player, Lowe worked for the Professional Footballers' Association as a coach educator in the North-West until June 2002, when he joined Wigan Athletic under former teammate Paul Jewell. He left the club in April 2009. He then did part-time work for Manchester United, in charge of the eldest participants in Manchester United Soccer Schools, before joining the back-room staff at Tranmere Rovers.

In June 2011, Lowe joined Blackburn Rovers as head of youth coaching. In February 2017, Lowe was appointed assistant head coach to new club manager Tony Mowbray. He signed a new two-year deal with the club four months later. He took caretaker charge on 13 February 2025 after John Eustace left to manage Derby County. He won two of his three games in charge before Valérien Ismaël was appointed as manager on 25 February. Ismaël did not retain Lowe on the coaching staff at the end of the 2024–25 season.

Career statistics As a player + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition Blackburn Rovers (caretaker)12 February 202525 February 2025Total

Honours Individual Wigan Athletic Player of the Year: 1997–98

Wigan Athletic Football League Trophy: 1985 Football League Third Division: 1996–97

Ipswich Town Football League Second Division: 1991–92

Port Vale Football League Second Division second-place promotion: 1993–94