Russell Martin

Early career

Martin joined Brighton & Hove Albion's youth academy before leaving by mutual consent in early 2004 to join Isthmian League Division One South team Lewes. He then had trials with several clubs, including Charlton Athletic. Martin joined Wycombe Wanderers in 2004. He made his debut in a 2–1 home victory over Cambridge United on 7 August 2004, then went on to make ten more appearances during the 2004–05 season. Ahead of the 2006–07 season, Martin signed a new two-year contract with the club. In the following season, he played in the League Two play-off semi-final against Stockport County, which Wycombe lost 2–1 on aggregate. On 29 May 2008, Martin moved to Peterborough United, who had just been promoted to League One. He signed a three-year contract. Martin became the club's youngest ever captain after taking over from Craig Morgan. In his first season at Peterborough, Martin captained the club to gain promotion to the Championship.

Norwich City

Following Mark Cooper's appointment as a replacement for Darren Ferguson in November 2009, Martin joined Norwich City on loan. On 4 January 2010, his transfer was made permanent and he joined Norwich on a 2+1⁄2-year contract. Martin scored his first goal for Norwich in the 3–1 defeat to Doncaster Rovers, with a diving header on 14 September 2010. He scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over Championship league leaders Queens Park Rangers on 1 January 2011, and a last-minute equaliser against Cardiff…

Martin, who was born in England, qualified to play for Scotland through his Scottish father. On 17 May 2011, he was named in the Scotland squad for Nations Cup games against Wales and the Republic of Ireland, making his debut as a late substitute against Wales. He remarked before a game against Croatia in June 2013 that he was not recognised by taxi drivers when he met up with the Scotland squad. Martin made his first competitive appearance for Scotland in that match against Croatia, which Scotland won 1–0 with then Norwich City teammate Robert Snodgrass scoring the only goal. He went on to play regularly under the management of Gordon Strachan, making 29 international appearances in total. His last cap came in a 1–0 win against Slovenia in March 2017.

Milton Keynes Dons

On 3 November 2019, following the departure of manager Paul Tisdale, Martin was announced as the new permanent first-team manager of League One club Milton Keynes Dons – the club he had joined as a player earlier in the year. Following his appointment, the club finished 19th in League One, with the season finishing prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Martin, alongside assistant Luke Williams, installed a possession-based style of play at the club which received widespread plaudits. On 2 March 2021, Martin's team scored after a 56-pass move, a new British record at the time. At the culmination of the 2020–21 season, only Manchester City and Barcelona had a higher average possession percentage in Europe than Martin's MK Dons. His team also had the most touches in the opposition box in League One, despite mixed results throughout the season which saw the club finishing 13th in the league. On 31 July 2021, MK Dons confirmed that Championship club Swansea City had requested to speak to Martin about him becoming their new manager, leaving the club with no manager two days prior to the season opener.

Swansea City

On 1 August 2021, Martin was named head coach of Swansea City, signing a three-year contract. He was appointed six days before the first game of the 2021–22 Championship season. He was joined by his assistants Luke Williams, Matthew Gill, and Dean Thornton. Martin's first game in charge was a 2–1 away loss to Blackburn Rovers,…

Martin was born in Brighton, East Sussex, to parents Dean and Kerry. He has two older brothers, Jamie and David, and a younger brother Pepe, whom his parents also fostered. His father was a taxi driver who subjected Martin's mother to domestic abuse and spent periods in prison. His father's gambling addiction saw the family lose their house in Hollingbury, moving to Hollingdean. His father coached his son's football teams. Martin was educated at Varndean School then Varndean College, achieving A-Levels in history, PE and drama. Prior to signing with Wycombe he was cleaning pub toilets in the mornings before school, then working in a Spar in the evenings. Martin established a charitable foundation in his hometown of Brighton, initially set up as a football academy, named the Russell Martin Foundation. The charity aims to use "the power of football to help change people's lives" by providing access to football, education, and health courses in the local community. Martin has been a vegan since 2014, initially for health reasons as he sought to manage issues with ulcerative colitis. He was also a part-owner of Erpingham House, a vegan restaurant in the UK. In a 2018 interview, he stated that he had joined the Green Party of England and Wales. He is also a proponent of Buddhism. On 31 July 2024, Martin was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Brighton for his charitable work with the Russell Martin Foundation. In February 2026, it was announced that he had married…