There’s a lot of trivia of this in various interviews. From what I’ve read/heard Moe Hashim (Bumbercatch) is the best at football (he didn’t have experience acting at was hired just to be football background). Worst is Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent) who barely played any. He made funny jokes that playing Roy Kent is the first thing his football hooligan dad has been proud of.
I agree he doesn’t want to be the boss. And I think him accepting that is part of him loosening up.