Ian Cathro lasted just seven months in his first managerial role at Heart of Midlothian but is rebuilding his career impressively in Portugal.
Cathro won just seven of his 30 games in charge at Tynecastle and was dismissed after a shock League Cup group-stage exit in 2017 following a penalty shootout defeat against Dunfermline.
The 38-year-old then worked under Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur before a spell with Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia as a first-team coach.
He joined Estoril, a small club to the west of Lisbon, in July last year and had a difficult initial three months in charge.
But ‘The Canaries’ are on a run of five consecutive victories – which they had not achieved since the 1948-49 season – and that has earned the Scotsman the Portuguese top flight’s coach of the month award.
It is voted for by his peers and Cathro polled 40%, ahead of Vasco Seabra of FC Arouca and Braga’s former Sheffield Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal.
Before taking over at Estoril Cathro’s previous experience of Portuguese football was as an assistant to Nuno at Rio Ave from 2012 to 2014.
He succeeded Vasco Seabra, who left after only nine months but led Estoril to their first cup final in 80 years, where they lost to Braga after a penalty shoot-out in the League Cup.
