text: Keith Curle tells the kind of stories about management that might explain why retiring players are stampeding towards the pundits’ couch. Except that is not his intention. Quite the opposite, in fact. The Carlisle manager loves a job that over the years has seen him break and rebuild a toilet, man a hose and pay salaries from his own pocket. ‘It’s the life I want for myself,’ he said. ‘It gets me out of bed.’ But there is no escaping the fact that Curle is in a shrinking minority, being one of only four managers in the country’s top 92 clubs who has played for England. The drain of leading English players to television rather than management was the key finding of a Sportsmail study. It seems that talking about the game is more appealing to former players than a life orchestrating it — easier money, less time and pressure. Many ex-players simply have no financial need to work but for Curle, money has only ever been just a part of it. Keith Curle insists football management was always his priority after ending his playing career . Curle has taken charge of Carlisle after learning his trade in the lower league backwaters . ‘Football was all I had and all I wanted,’ he said. ‘As for ex-internationals, I guess there will be fewer going to management now because of the money they earn. You’d think they don’t need a wage but some will have only a passion for football. ‘That might mean being in front of a camera. I have done a bit for Sky and I really enjoyed it but first and foremost I am a coach and manager. That’s how it is for some managers – it’s what you are. ‘But if you are like that you have to like a challenge.’ Few are better placed to illustrate the challenge of management than Curle. He won three England caps but has spent most of the past 13 years in places where TV rights do not sell for billions. He started at Mansfield and went on to Chester, Torquay and Notts County before joining League Two Carlisle United last September after nearly five years coaching Crystal Palace and QPR under Neil Warnock. Curle (right) is one of only four former England players to currently manage in the football league . The well-travelled defender played for a total of 10 clubs during his career, including Manchester City . Curle claims to have caught the management bug after playing for Wolves under Colin Lee and John Ward . The 51-year-old’s days are long and his experiences would not seem such fond memories to everyone. ‘At Chester, I drove around looking for places to train,’ Curle said. ‘Elsewhere, I’ve raised money to pay bills for training facilities that haven’t been paid for. You are also lending people money for wages that have not been paid. ‘At Mansfield, we had a toilet in the middle of the changing room so I helped knock it down and rehouse it.’ It was at Mansfield that Curle used a fireman’s hose to water the training pitch. ‘You do everything you can,’ he added. ‘You get your hands dirty. ‘It’s hard. Most days I’ll be in my office at 8.15am and I’ll usually leave at 5.15pm. Not bad. Then I’m often in the car to go and watch a game. ‘Sometimes you’ll go to three in a week. Being in Carlisle that’s a lot of time in the car, getting home after midnight.’ It’s all part of the puzzle of turning thoughts into performances and performances into results. That’s what keeps managers like Curle hooked. Curle started his management career at Mansfield where he missed out on promotion to Division Two . Curle returned to former club Torquay as manager but could not save them from relegation in 2007 . Curle tooks Notts County on a run of 22 consecutive away games without defeat before being sacked . ‘Winning matches is what I love,’ Curle said. ‘I got a bug for coaching when I was playing at Wolves (in the late 1990s) under Colin Lee and John Ward. ‘I wanted to understand why we were doing something. ‘John started showing me his coaching journals that he had kept for years, logging every session. All my coaching sessions now are logged. ‘The development plans I have for every player now are also logged. I am plotting their development on my own graphs, watching how they reach targets. ‘There is nothing better than improving a player and seeing it on the Saturday.’ The 51-year-old spent five years working as a coach under Neil Warnock at Crystal Palace and then QPR . Curle believes there is no better feeling than developing a player to reach their targets . And nothing worse than getting the sack. It has already happened to Curle and will probably happen again. ‘The overall challenge is to build a team but that takes 18 months,’ he said. ‘How often do you get 18 months in a job? Summer is best — you talk about philosophies and there is no pressure. Then the season starts and you need results. It’s a challenge, a good challenge.’ And obviously it’s not for everyone. For others, it’s a peculiar part of the charm.
target: Keith Curle is one of only four England players to currently manage .
  Former Manchester City player has managed clubs including Mansfield, Chester, Torquay and Notts County before ending up at Carlisle .
  Curle turned his back on a career in punditry to remain on the sidelines .
  'I have done a bit for Sky and I really enjoyed it but first and foremost I am a coach and manager,' he said .