Zinedine Zidane, Carlo Ancelotti, Antonio Conte, Pep Guardiola and Johan Cruyff make up a few names on a list of world-class players that turned out to be world-class managers, too.
That list is very small, though. And despite the likes of Ryan Giggs feeling like they have some divine right to a top flight managerial job, the truth is, it’s hard to make the transition from the pitch to the dugout.
That’s not to say that it isn’t a well trodden path, with even the most niche and unmemorable former Premier League footballers giving management a go.
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Li Tie
One day, I hope to be as happy as Tony Pulis when he met his football hero, Li Tie.
Weirdly, the former Chinese international didn't even make 200 league appearances in a career that spanned 13 years. So it makes sense that the former Everton midfielder moved into management, given the amount of time he would've spent in the dugout - managed Hebei China Fortune FC for a year (they've got Gervinho and a couple of other irrelevant former Premier League players).
Source: Twitter
Abel Xavier
The bloke with the Premier League's greatest ever hair - sorry Taribo West - is now, so randomly cool, the gaffer of Mozambique.
Source: Twitter
Eirik Bakke
It's very fitting that the man with the most Norwegian sounding name ever, is currently holding down the fort at Norwegian team, Sogndal.
Source: Twitter
Hernan Crespo
Never really sure if the Argentine striker was any good, or whether hipsters just made me think that. Safe to say the former River Plate forward was a better footballer than he was a manager; didn't even last a year in charge of Serie A side Modena.
Source: Twitter
Marian Pahars
Now into his fourth year as manager of the Latvian national football team. And there's literally nothing else to add.
Source: Daily Echo
Mido
Mido was once tipped to go on and be bigger than Zlatan Ibrahimovic. And judging by the picture, he succeeded. The former Tottenham Hotspur striker is currently manager of Egyptian side, Wadi Delga.
Source: Twitter
Nicolas Anelka
Does being a player-coach/manager ever work? Well Le Sulk tried it twice, once with Shanghai Shenhua and then with Mumbai City.
Source: Twitter
Tony Popovic
The man who will never be anything more than a worldie own goal, is currently entering his fifth year in charge of Western Sydney Wanderers.
Source: Twitter
Whilst you’re taking this glorious trip down memory lane, it would be rude for us not to relive Tony Popovic’s wonderful own goal. A real career-defying moment.
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