Only a manager in England has raised more titles in the league in the last five years: Pep Guardiola, who will sit on the other bench in Leyton Orient on Saturday.
Wellens drops with a shine, a mischievous flavor. The eyebrows up, the arms out, the eyes lengthen slightly.
He recalled a forum of the Association of Managers of the League with Guardiola as a guest speaker and how, as a rookie coach at that time, he broke the policy of his life to request a photo.
“It's not me, but he's different,” says Wellens, before suggesting that SNAP has a posterity value given its recent trophy sets.
WELLENS: Two titles of the League two and a Trophy of Pope John in three clubs since 2020. Guardiola: four main leagues, three national glasses, Europe and the world with Manchester City.
“I saw a little thinner than now, I have to say,” he says. 'Pep was great with the coaches in the room. It was a question and answers session and many questions were about his style and he said: “Don't copy me, why would I copy me? I have the best players.”
Only Pep Guardiola has more league titles in England than Richie Wellens in the last five years
Wellens will face Pep Guardiola when his Leyton side facing Man City in the Copa FA
Wellens supports Guardiola a photo at an event of the League Managers Association
“I think it would be nonsense not to look at it and say:” I like that, can I work on that and maybe take fragments? “When I was on Swindon we had midfielders who would extend as false backs. It depends on the coaches of us to drink fragments but not copy because we do not have the same athletes. '
Wellens, authentic and self -critical, is 44 years old, but has a management experience of a whole career in five jobs that have gone from ridicul They queue their office on their office on any given day: for Sublime in Orient, where their close relationship with President Nigel Travis is helping an unlikely inclination in the play-offs of the League one.
Orient has not won the ascent to the second level since 1970, but the Wellens team is sixth, and only the leaders of Birmingham City have granted fewer goals.
Among those works, joy in Swindon came, four months of misery with Gary Neville in Salford City, complete with a carefully edited documentary, and 19 games in Doncaster Rovers, where Wellens admits that Ego took over. It admits a lot, Wellens.
“I'm more rounded now, I'm not in a hurry,” he says. 'I don't feel that now they backed me up in a corner. I can maneuver philosophically. At that time he went out to fight.
'This club almost disappeared six years ago. Now it's a long time. It is a brilliant exhibition. We have the opportunity to produce one of the greatest clashes in history, a historical moment.
'There are slight vulnerabilities in which you can expose to the city, and then it depends on us. It's just a matter of “Do we have the quality to do that?” It is an event. I want the stadium to be a sea of red. Anyway, I don't like blue color.
Then the blue color, like this for the city. Or more pertinently, for Manchester United, who nurtured this former midfielder, with a distinctive career style, that of a peached turkey, in his academy.
Wellens led Leyton orient to the promotion of league two as champions in 2023
He is now trying to take the club to an unlikely ascent to the championship.
A childhood supporter that was at Camp Nou in 1999 with his father, sitting here reviving the 'gladiatorial theater'. A fan of the former Coaches Coordinator of United, Eric Harrison, sneaked once next to the shelter for a game.
A microphone fan for BBC Radio Manchester when Ilkay Gundagan Tronó in that volley after 13 seconds in the FA Cup final. A fan who endured the final school of the Barcelona Champions of Guardiola in Wembley in 2011. gives the pain of that slow torture even now.
“I still remember the first time I saw United,” he says. 'Norman Whiteside in the '85 final. Hypnotized. Neville Southall had put his bottle right in the corner and it was as if Whiteside pointed to her. I was five years old, I had it in the old cassette video. I would put it, I would see it again. In, again. My mother really hit him with Jennifer Rush, the power of love. Can you believe it? The honest truth of God. Very annoying.
'For me, City is the best Premier League team that has been. Obviously, I have seen the United United States, the Chelsea teams, but to make six (titles) of seven … everyone has money now, everyone can pay it. You look before and the best teams came out and only the best players got.
That, partly, blocked a route to United's first team for Wellens, who never returned to the Premier League after Sir Alex Ferguson sat it in 2000 to tell him that the club was releasing him.
Four years before, Wes Brown and David Healy had been told Brian Kidd who were the following in the range, after the '92 class, and their performances for England under 18, a team that includes Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen , Ashley, Ashley Cole and Ledley King, were promising.
“I didn't train correctly,” he says. 'I did not develop my body. I made many mistakes. He had the ability to play in the Premier League but not in athletics. I didn't practice, it didn't work. I told myself. I don't want my young players to make the same mistakes. At that time it was blaza, “it doesn't matter, I will.”
'I wish I knew what I know now. If those boys United played table tennis, questionnaires, main tennis, they are arguing. They want to win. I only trained with them for about 30-40 sessions, but you have to win, address, with your teammate to try it. Roy Keane, the best player, would train and look at you as if he said: “You are not running beyond me, I'm going to crush you.”
The Man United fan was on the radio when Ilkay Gundagan scored in the 2023 final for the city
Wellens admits to having made many mistakes in his own career as a player after coming in United
With only 44 years, Wellens has already had five management jobs and has a significant experience
Wellens prospered in Blackpool, Oldham, Doncaster and Leicester City, regrets having rejected a movement towards Birmingham in 2010, and then came into contact with Ferguson seven years after its launch.
“We played United for the inauguration of the Keepmoat stadium in Doncaster,” he says while increasing a fine and abrupt Glaswegio accent. “As soon as he saw me, and he used to shout a lot, he simply shouted:” Bellen! “He won't remember that, but when someone speaks to you, you remember every conversation.
I saw it at the LMA awards two years ago. Receiving an award in front of him was a proud moment. I regret not to support me anymore, but I feel a little ashamed to sound or send text messages.
'Look at Busby, Paisley, Shankly, Stein, Clough … These managers tend to have an aura when they pass, but Ferguson always had it. We wait for someone to go to honor them with positions or statues. Ferguson has everything. I don't know, the aura … it's hard for me to do.
However, there have been two moments in Wellens' coaches career when Ferguson has taught wisdom. The ex no 2 Mike Phelan of Ferguson implored Wellens to make contact while he was in Oldham.
Leyton Orient will receive Man City in the fourth round of the FA Cup with fans with the hope of a discomfort
'When I got the work for the first time, it's 24/7, I couldn't sleep. I was on top of me and Sir Alex gave me a couple of tips that I have used. A social one in terms of dealing with being a manager. And then mentality.
'When Salford won Pope John's, he had a text message waiting: “Congratulations, his team deserved it. Although you were at the top and did not score, he continued. When you get home tonight, forget it. He is gone. In the next ”.
'They always say it, but it's really difficult to do. Did you know? Maybe I immediately did not take that on board, but when we won the league here two years ago I had it. I enjoyed the day, but I knew we were going to lose players and had a job to do in the League one. It was right. He renamed me.
A message that appears on your phone tomorrow would mark a job well done. Maybe even some history. Wellens will probably not ask for photos this time.