"This is beyond my imagination," Valdas Dambrauskas said, quoted by bbc.co.uk. On Thursday he will walk out at Old Trafford as manager of Sabah FA in the Champions League, around 20 years after making his first steps in coaching with Manchester United Soccer Schools. It is a strong football occasion in its own right, but the real pull is the route he took to get there.
Dambrauskas arrived in London in August 2002 aged 25, on a student visa and with limited English. He did not land in England with a fast-track plan into elite football. He came with coaching ambitions, then built them the hard way.
England years behind the return
Speaking to bbc.co.uk, Dambrauskas said: "My idea was somehow I will try to go on these [coaching] courses to gain the coaching badge, maybe go back one day to Lithuania and start to work as a football coach."
That ambition sat alongside the basic need to get by. He said: "I was doing two, three, sometimes four jobs." Those jobs included gardening, handyman work, newspaper rounds and polishing floors in a pub.
In 2004 he enrolled on a course in sports science and coaching at London Metropolitan University. He also chased every opening he could find around the game. "I went on every possible course, every possible conference, London Football Coaches Association meetings," he said. England, in his own words, became the place where opportunities kept appearing, provided he was prepared to take them.
That part of the story is more interesting than the usual quick-hit version of a coach suddenly turning up on a major European night. Dambrauskas was not simply passing through England. He was absorbing as much as he could and trying to force his way into the sport from the edges of it.
The break that stayed with him most came through Manchester United Soccer Schools. "That was the best thing that could happen in my life," he said. He also told bbc.co.uk: "I'd never been in a place with so many great personalities as I got in the Manchester United Soccer Schools."
Sabah's trip and the wider full-circle moment
This week would already mean plenty on a personal level. Dambrauskas has been to Old Trafford before as a fan with his children. "I've been many times to Old Trafford with the kids, and now I'm going to come as a coach," he said.
That line probably captures the story better than anything else. Coaches often talk about journeys in neat, polished terms. His was messy, improvised and full of ordinary work before it reached a stage like this.
There is a live football angle as well. Sabah arrive on the back of four straight Champions League wins in the current run, including away victories over KuPS and The New Saints. They are not turning up at Old Trafford simply for the photograph.
Manchester United still represent the bigger test. Their recent domestic run stands at three wins, one draw and one loss from the last five league games, and they finished third in the 2024-25 Premier League season is not available to link so should not appear.
One of the more unusual details in Dambrauskas' backstory also fits the mood of the week. He once won 4,000 litas, about £725, on a Lithuanian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? It is a quirky footnote, but only a footnote. The more telling part is what followed: years of study, low-paid work and persistence before football started giving something back.
Thursday's match puts him back in the stadium where that English chapter first opened up. Whatever happens on the pitch, Dambrauskas will walk out at Old Trafford as Sabah manager in the Champions League.
FAQ
Why is Valdas Dambrauskas' return to Old Trafford such a big story?
Because it takes him back to the place where his coaching path first opened up. Dambrauskas is due at Old Trafford on Thursday as Sabah manager in the Champions League, around 20 years after making his first coaching steps with Manchester United Soccer Schools.
How did Valdas Dambrauskas start his coaching journey in England?
He arrived in London in August 2002 aged 25 on a student visa and with limited English. Dambrauskas worked several jobs while chasing coaching qualifications, then in 2004 enrolled on a sports science and coaching course at London Metropolitan University and threw himself into courses and coaching events.
What jobs did Valdas Dambrauskas do before becoming a coach?
Dambrauskas said he was doing two, three and sometimes four jobs. His early work included gardening, handyman jobs, newspaper rounds and polishing floors in a pub while he tried to build a route into coaching.
Are Sabah going into the Manchester United game in good form?
Yes. Sabah have won all four of their Champions League matches in the current run, including away wins over KuPS and The New Saints. Manchester United's recent domestic form is decent too, with three wins, one draw and one loss in their last five league games.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
