Kenny Jackett, the former Watford and Wales player who managed seven clubs including Wolves and Millwall, has died at the age of 64, his former clubs confirmed on Friday.
Born in Watford, Jackett made 428 appearances for his hometown side during a one-club playing career, also earning 31 caps for Wales through his father Frank. Forced to retire at 28 due to persistent knee injuries, he became a coach at Vicarage Road before being appointed manager in 1996.
“Kenny Jackett, the former Watford and Wales player who managed seven clubs, has died aged 64.”
As a player, Jackett was part of Graham Taylor's team that won promotion to the top flight in 1982, finished second in the First Division a year later, and reached the 1984 FA Cup final, losing to Everton.
His managerial career took off at Swansea, whom he led to promotion from League Two in 2005, their final season at the Vetch Field. He also masterminded a Football League Trophy triumph in 2006. After resigning in February 2007, he joined Millwall, winning the League One play-offs in 2010 and guiding the Lions to an FA Cup semi-final in 2012-13 before resigning after an end-of-season slump.
In 2013, Jackett took over Wolves after their relegation to League One. He engineered a swift turnaround, winning the title with a then-record 103 points. A seventh-placed finish in the Championship followed, but he was dismissed in 2016 after the club's takeover by Fosun International.
Brief spells at Rotherham and Portsmouth followed – he won the Checkatrade Trophy at Portsmouth in 2019 and reached the final again in 2020 – before an eight-month stint at Leyton Orient ended in February 2022. His final role in football was as director of football at Gillingham from January 2023 until he resigned on medical grounds in November 2024.
League Managers Association chief executive Richard Bevan said: "Kenny stands as one of the most respected managers to have plied their trade in the EFL, a hugely capable leader whose work across four decades has left a lasting influence on the many players, coaches and colleagues who benefited from his guidance."
Watford described Jackett as "a local lad who quite simply lived and breathed the Hornets", while Wolves said they were "devastated" and praised him for laying "the foundations for the club as we know it today".
Jackett is survived by his wife Samantha, sons David and Ryan.