FORMER Barnsley Football Club head coach Lee Johnson admits he is considering leaving the country for Spain or Germany following a ‘work drought’.

Johnson joined the Reds in 2015 and left a year later after being head-hunted by Bristol City.

The 43-year-old then went onto manage at Sunderland and Hibernian and has been out of a job since being sacked by Fleetwood Town in 2023.

He told The Sports Agents podcast that finding work in football management is getting ‘tougher’ for young, homegrown coaches - and the expense of getting coaching badges is pricing them out of the game.

He said: “It’s tough.

“I think it’s getting tougher as well.

“There’s that old adage, isn’t there?

“Great game, bad industry.

“And I understand why people say that.

“You know, it becomes very political and it’s tough.

“It’s a battle out there.”

Having been out of the game for over a year, Johnson argues that breaking into coaching is becoming harder, and young coaches are being priced out of getting their coaching badges, adding that those that can still find it hard to find work due to competition from abroad.

“To get to your Pro Licence with case studies and travel and bits, it’s probably going to cost you something in the region of £50,000 to £75,000,” he said.

“You’re paying for that yourself.

“I’ve got a friend that’s got every single qualification - Youth Award all the way through to Pro Licence - and it cost him over £100,000.

“And you know, he wouldn’t get a sniff.”

He admits he’s now considering leaving the English FA for opportunities further afield.

He added: “Do I as a coach now move to maybe the German FA or the Spanish FA to look at something different, to learn something different?

“Or do I stick within the system to try and develop and trust it?”

The Sports Agents is available to listen to now on Global Player, or wherever you get your podcasts.