A former journeyman striker was denied a dream move to coach with Real Madrid due to Brexit regulations. As a player, Andy Mangan spent most his time turning out for teams in the lower echelons of the EFL and the National League. The Liverpool-born forward had stints with the likes of Wrexham, Shrewsbury and Tranmere during his 14-year playing career, scoring 118 goals in 425 appearances. However, it was after hanging up his boots in 2018 that he really kicked on after working alongside fellow Scouser Joey Barton as a coach at Fleetwood Town and later following him to -Bristol -Rovers, where he also took charge of seven games as caretaker manager. Mangan was with League One outfit Stockport County in September 2024 when a shock bid was made by Carlo Ancelotti to bring him onto the coaching staff at Real Madrid. The move was made after the 38-year-old undertook his UEFA coaching badges alongside Ancelotti’s son, Davide, who also works at Madrid, with the duo maintaining a strong relationship. Talks progressed so far that Mangan began taking Spanish lessons and even headed to the Spanish capital to start looking for schools for his children, according to The Times. But Mangan's hopes of guiding the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Jude -Bellingham were dashed shortly after when he was refused a work permit - a requirement which has only existed since the UK voted to leave the European Union. Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher hit out over the Brexit vote in a post on social media after learning of Mangan's plight. The former England international wrote on X: "Chance of a lifetime lost for a young English coach, but he's got a blue passport so I'm sure he'll get over it (thumbs up emoji) #BrexitShambles." With his move to Madrid over, Mangan turned his attention back to his job at Stockport, where he still remains as an assistant coach, mainly focusing on helping to develop attacking players. He was later linked with the vacant head coach role at his former team Shrewsbury after Paul Hurst was relieved of his duties. However ex-Wycombe and QPR boss Gareth Ainsworth was ultimately given the job in November last year. Stockport are currently fourth in the third tier and fighting for promotion to the Championship. The club has enjoyed huge success under manager Dave Challinor in the last few years, winning the National League title in 2022 and also finishing top of League Two last season. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.