His career path reads more like a bucket list of travel destinations: Oxford United, Wellington Phoenix, Stoke City, New Zealand, Melbourne City, Mumbai City. (Apologies, Potteries locals, your patch is the odd one out here).
But now Des Buckingham is back at his beloved Oxford, and the next item on his bucket list will soon be ticked off: Wembley. After a nail-biting second leg against Peterborough at London Road, the U's are within 90 minutes of Championship football for the first time this century.
The 39-year-old's coaching odyssey, largely in youth football, has been a sprawling one but Buckingham has proven himself to be a shrewd operator wherever he has gone.