Chinese Super League (CSL) side Beijing Guoan announced on Thursday that 44-year-old British-Australian coach Nick Montgomery had been appointed as the head coach of the club’s first team. Montgomery previously served as an assistant to Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest. Beijing Guoan are currently fourth in the Chinese Super League. Photo: Screenshot from Beijing Guoan official X-like Sina Weibo account.

Chinese Super League (CSL) side Beijing Guoan announced on Thursday that 44-year-old British-Australian coach Nick Montgomery had been appointed as the head coach of the club's first team. Montgomery previously served as an assistant to Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest. Beijing Guoan are currently fourth in the Chinese Super League.

According to the club's official X-like Sina Weibo account, Montgomery emphasizes an immediate, high-pressure collective reaction following transitions, demanding a strong command of match tempo. Due tohis passion, his teams are known for their aggressive and proactive style of play.

"A new era has begun. The new coach should be given time and space to reshape the team, while maintaining resilience to withstand pressure and the determination to see the overhaul through," football commentator Yang Tianying wrote under Guoan's Weibo.

From an analytical perspective, Beijing-based sports commentator Luo Le told the Global Times on Thursday that the impact of a head coach tends to become more evident as a team's overall level improves.

"At the elite level, tactical planning and in-game adjustments can make a real difference. For Guoan at this stage, the priority is to raise the team's overall level step by step — by establishing clearer tactical structures, improving players' development and accumulating sustained match experience," Luo said. "As that foundation improves, the impact of a new head coach will become more visible."

"Montgomery has been without a club since leaving Nottingham Forest in October 2025, where he served as an assistant to Ange Postecoglou during the Australian's spell at the City Ground," said Australian football commentator Jake Rosengarten. "Prior to that, Montgomery helped Postecoglou guide Tottenham Hotspur to the UEFA Europa League title."

Born in 1981, Montgomery enjoyed a lengthy playing career, making nearly 400 appearances across the Premier League and the Championship for Sheffield United, according to Beijing Guoan's official Weibo account.

Later in his playing career, he joined Central Coast Mariners in Australia's A-League. In the 2012-13 season, he helped the Mariners secure the first league title in the club's history.

In 2017, Montgomery retired from professional football and transitioned into coaching, taking up a role within the Central Coast Mariners' youth academy. During the 2021-22 season, he was appointed head coach of the first team. In just his second season in charge, he led the Mariners to another A-League title, becoming the first person in the club's history to win the league both as a player and as head coach, the Weibo noted.

In the 2023-24 season, Montgomery took charge of Hibernian, leading the club in the Scottish Premiership. From 2024-25 onward, he joined Ange Postecoglou's coaching staff as an assistant coach, working with Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest, and helping Spurs lift the UEFA Europa League title in the 2024-25 season, according to the Weibo post.