| Conor Sellars | |
| Fullname: | Conor Joseph Sellars |
| Birth Date: | 15 January 1992[1] |
| Birth Place: | Leeds, England |
| Height: | 1.67 m |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Currentclub: | Hull City (coach) |
| Youthyears1: | 2007–2010 |
| Youthclubs1: | Middlesbrough |
| Youthyears2: | 2010–2011 |
| Youthclubs2: | Rochdale |
| Years1: | 2011–2012 |
| Clubs1: | Fão |
| Caps1: | 9 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2012–2013 |
| Clubs2: | Hallam |
| Goals2: | 9 |
| Years3: | 2013 |
| Clubs3: | Höttur |
| Caps3: | 8 |
| Goals3: | 1 |
| Years4: | 2013 |
| Clubs4: | Harrogate Railway Athletic |
| Years5: | 2013–2014 |
| Clubs5: | Harrogate Town |
| Caps5: | 14 |
| Goals5: | 1 |
| Years6: | 2014–2015 |
| Clubs6: | Worksop Town |
| Years7: | 2015–2018 |
| Clubs7: | Tadcaster Albion |
| Manageryears1: | 2020–2021 |
| Managerclubs1: | Bradford City (joint caretaker manager) |
| Manageryears2: | 2021 |
| Managerclubs2: | Bradford City (joint manager) |
Conor Joseph Sellars (born 15 January 1992) is an English football coach and former player who is the under-23 lead professional development phase coach at Hull City.
Born in Leeds, Sellars, a midfielder, began his youth career at Middlesbrough and Rochdale, before playing professionally in Portugal for Fão and in Iceland for Höttur.[2] He made 8 appearances for 2. deild karla side Höttur, scoring once.[3] He also played non-league football in England for Hallam, Harrogate Railway Athletic,[4] Harrogate Town,[5] Worksop Town,[6] and Tadcaster Albion,[4] [7] [8] before retiring in May 2018 to concentrate on his coaching career.[9]
He has worked for Bradford City as a youth coach,[10] before being appointed caretaker manager alongside Mark Trueman in December 2020.[11] [12] Their first match was a 1–1 draw away at Crawley Town on 15 December 2020, the club's first point in six games.[13] [14] The club's CEO Ryan Sparks said that Trueman and Sellars had the board's full support whilst the search for a permanent manager was ongoing.[15] Their second match was a 1–0 victory at home against Cambridge United on 19 December 2020, the club's first league win in eight matches.[16] [17] After the result, Truman and Sellars had a celebratory beer, and then spent seven to eight hours the next day planning for the next game.[18] Sellars later said that the players were reacting to the caretaker managers' hard work.[19]
On 28 December 2020 it was announced that Trueman and Sellars had been promoted to 'interim' managers and would remain in charge of the team for at least January 2021.[20] [21] [22] Sellars later spoke about being in charge for this first transfer window in January 2021,[23] telling players who might have lost their place in the first-team as a result of new signings to continue training and working hard.[24]
In February 2021 Bradford City CEO Ryan Sparks said that Trueman and Sellars were happy with their 'interim' status and were not pushing to be made permanent managers.[25] Later that month Trueman and Sellars were nominated for the January 2021 EFL League Two Manager of the Month award, after 2 wins and 1 draw in their 3 league games that month.[26] Trueman and Sellars were also praised by player Connor Wood for their maturity and detail.[27]
On 22 February 2021 Trueman and Sellars were announced as Bradford City's joint permanent managers, on a contract until the end of the 2021–22 season.[28] They were the youngest managers in the English Football League.[29]
By 8 March 2021, Trueman and Sellars had won 10 out of 15 league games, only losing once, and guided Bradford City from 22nd to 10th in the division.[29] That same day the duo were nominated for the February 2021 EFL League Two Manager of the Month award, after one loss and four successive victories.[30]
In May 2021, after a dip in the team's form which saw them lose 5 matches in a row, Sellars said that he and Trueman would get out of their slump and that they had done their job in guiding the club away from relegation.[31] On 10 May 2021 however, the two managers had their management contracts terminated by the club, having finished the season with a run of just one point from a possible 21 that ended in a mid-table finish. The two were offered alternative roles at the club,[32] [33] who were hopeful that the duo would remain.[34] It was later announced that Trueman would stay with the club as a first-team link coach, although Sellars had yet to make a decision.[35]
Sellars left Bradford City on 18 June 2021, after 7 years with the club, although the club said they would still fund Sellars' UEFA Pro (Level 5) license coaching course.[36] In July 2022 he became the under-23 lead professional development phase coach at Hull City.[37]
In February 2021 Sellars said that he is influenced by foreign coaching styles, including the Italian football he watched as a child and the time he spent as a player in Portugal and Iceland.[38]
His father is former footballer Scott Sellars.[2]