KSI-owned Dagenham & Redbridge are reportedly in the running to appoint Kevin Nolan as their new manager.
Nolan, 43, has been out of work since he was sacked by Northampton Town last month after a run of seven games without a win left the Cobblers in 23rd place in League One.
The former midfielder was appointed by Northampton in December 2024 and successfully kept them up last season.
However, things were more difficult this time around and the club’s relegation was confirmed earlier this week. They have lost all seven games since Nolan’s exit.
And, according to Pete O’Rourke, Nolan is being lined up for a return to management at Dagenham, who play in the National League South, the sixth tier of English football.
The profile around the Daggers has risen dramatically since KSI’s shock takeover last month, although results haven’t followed the YouTuber’s arrival as the club sit 13th in the table with one game of the season left.
Dagenham & Redbridge are reportedly in the running to appoint Kevin Nolan as their new boss
There has been significant noise around the club since KSI took over the club last month
Nolan’s former Newcastle and West Ham team-mate Andy Carroll is currently in caretaker charge after KSI sacked boss Lee Bradbury.
Carroll, 37, is still officially a player after joining the East London outfit last summer and he has taken eight points from six games.
Speaking last month, he insisted he is not ready to give that up despite his temporary switch to the dugout.
‘Management was never something I wanted to do,’ he told The Sun. ‘But I always knew that if there was a chance for me to do it, I could.
‘It’s something that is exciting me at the minute. I’m really happy with the way it is going, but I never thought about it and it just fell on my lap.
‘I want to play football. I’m still contracted here to play football and that’s what I want to do every single day. If that includes having the manager’s job alongside it, so be it.
‘But being the boss permanently and not being able to play football isn’t something I’d do right now.’
Nolan, who gained cult status during his playing career for his exploits with Bolton, Newcastle and West Ham, began his managerial career with Leyton Orient in 2016.
He later managed Notts County from January 2017 to August 2018 and took the Magpies to the League Two play-offs in his only full season in charge.
Nolan was first team coach at West Ham during David Moyes’ second spell at the club before he spent a short time with England Under 20s until his arrival at Northampton.
Speaking to Daily Mail Sport’s Inside The EFL column last season after he helped the club avoid relegation, Nolan had said: ‘It’s been great being a number one again. I enjoy making the decisions and having that pressure on you.
‘Management is something I wanted to do again. I had a fantastic opportunity under David at West Ham and learnt so much from him.
‘But I’ve loved every minute of being back, we’ve had some amazing days and getting the job done to keep us up was key.’
Nolan’s former West Ham and Newcastle team-mate Andy Carroll is in caretaker charge
Meanwhile, KSI caused a stir with his purchase of a stake in Dagenham earlier this month.
Outlining his ambitions, he said: ‘It’s surreal, bro, out of this world. The idea of it excites me so much.
‘Years ago, I saw the excitement, the happiness, the joy. I want to bring that back and then surpass it.
‘I want the place to be pumping, I want it to be rocking, I want it to be an event whenever you come here.
‘Playing a video game and owning a football club is very different, I know that, but with Race to Division One (his Fifa YouTube series), it was a journey. It was hard, but in the end, I did it.’
KSI continued: ‘With this club, I want to do the unthinkable. I want to take Dagenham and Redbridge to the Premier League.
‘It’s obviously going to take time, but I’d say the realistic goal is getting out of this league and entering the National League.
‘We need to improve the team, make some additions that really take it to another level, and I want to build the community.’
