In the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso, Roy Kent is the coach needed to save the struggling football club AFC Richmond from relegation. Ted Lasso season 1 saw the fictional team coached by the loveable Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) relegated from the Premier League down to the Championship, England's second division of football (soccer). Midway through season 2 and Lasso's second season at the helm, the club finds itself struggling at the bottom of the table, potentially resulting in another relegation to a lower division.
Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) is the former captain of AFC Richmond who retires only after injury, and age precludes him from playing any longer. Many of the Ted Lasso characters are based on real footballers, and Kent is no exception as he bears a striking resemblance to former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane. The two share a blunt and brazen demeanor as well as a highly competitive style of play, and like Keane, Kent harnesses these attributes to successfully captain a big-name club before moving down to a smaller club in the twilight of his playing career. After a brief stint as a pundit, Kent gives in to Lasso and joins the team's coaching staff.
Kent is exactly what AFC Richmond needs to save it from relegation. He will provide a crucial level of discipline at the club that none of the other coaches bring to the table. His history and reputation at the club mean that the players might even have more respect for Roy Kent than for Ted Lasso, and if his character continues to follow the path of Roy Keane, the club's future is looking bright.
Ted Lasso and the other coaches at AFC Richmond are charming and loveable, but they fail to breed the discipline and ambition that a club needs to be successful in the tables. Lasso even states multiple times in season 1 that he doesn't care about winning or losing and prefers to focus on the players' personal development. Roy Kent, however, is as competitive as they come. Furious at every loss and constantly driven to improve, his stern, no-nonsense attitude brings a much-needed element to the coaching staff. He already has the respect of the players, as seen in season 2, episode 5, in which he helps Ted Lasso with AFC Richmond's new captain by teaching him a tough lesson about enjoying football. Kent's previous position as captain and his stern, competitive nature make him the missing piece to a successful team of coaches.
The inspiration for Kent's character, Roy Keane, also serves as a positive omen for the club. Kent becoming a coach continues to mirror Keane's career as he became manager of Sunderland AFC shortly after retiring as a player. Like Richmond, Sunderland was a former Premier League team who found themselves near the bottom of the Championship table just a few games into the season. Keane arrived and immediately instituted regimental discipline, something his time at the club became known for, including transfer listing Liam Miller in the second season for repeated lateness. By the end of his first season in charge, Sunderland was top of the league, securing an automatic promotion back to the Premier League. Fans of season 2 of Ted Lasso can imagine that Roy Kent will have a similar effect for AFC Richmond.
Although he was initially reluctant to take the job, Roy Kent will likely be just the coach that AFC Richmond needs to save it from relegation. His rough personality may clash with some players or even members of the coaching staff, but he will ultimately provide the missing piece to the club's success. Supporters of Ted Lasso certainly hope that he can replicate the results of his real-life namesake and lead AFC Richmond to promotion.