Remembering some great footballers who flopped in management.
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11) Alan Shearer
The all-time leading Premier League goalscorer and one of the finest strikers to grace the English game, Alan Shearer was a legend for club and country in a superb playing career, but had a bad time in charge of Newcastle United as he ended up getting his old club relegated in 2008/09. He is far from the best pundit either, but the Match of the Day sofa seems a safer place for Shearer’s tactical knowledge…
SEE ALSO: The Best Manchester United players of all time
10) Gianfranco Zola
A brilliantly entertaining player in a wonderful career with Chelsea and Serie A clubs, Italian maestro Gianfranco Zola has not hit the ground running in managament, looking out of his depth first at West Ham United and then at Watford. He will inevitably be linked with the Chelsea job at some point though…
9) Edgar Davids
One of the finest defensive midfielders of his generation, Juventus and Holland legend Edgar Davids could not take his superb ability on the pitch to working miracles off it, despite a bizarre attempt at being player-coach of Barnet recently, which mostly resulted in him charging into wreckless tackles on the pitch and getting himself sent off.
8) Kevin Keegan
A superb talent and wonderfully entertaining player for England and various top flight clubs, Kevin Keegan is a bit of a laughing stock as a manager after his famous rant during his time in charge of Newcastle United which eventually led to the team blowing the title race. He has since had some low-key jobs with the likes of Manchester City, and just doesn’t seem cut out for management at this level.
7) Graeme Souness
A Liverpool legend for his battling displays in midfield, Graeme Souness enjoyed tremendous success as a player, but the harsh reality of managament has not been kind to the Scot, who did a bad job in charge of the Reds and later with Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United. Now enjoying the easier life as a pundit.
6) Marco van Basten
One of the best strikers of all time, Marco van Basten was a joy to watch for AC Milan and the Netherlands at his peak, but has failed at several attempts to manage at the top level, before recently quitting as manager of AZ Alkmaar due to the immense stress of the job.
5) Tony Adams
A superb centre-back and great captain, it always seemed expected that former Arsenal man Tony Adams could be an ideal leader as a manager as well, though it clearly isn’t as simple as that. The former England defender has had spells at Wycome Wanderers and Portsmouth with little success, before embarking on a bizarre project in Azerbaijan, which lasted just over a year.
4) Paul Gascoigne
A great player who has famously gone downhill since the end of his playing days, Paul Gascoigne had a very brief attempt at management when he took over at Kettering Town in 2005, though he lasted just 39 days due to claims from the club’s owner that he “drank almost every day he worked”.
3) Stuart Pearce
A great defender and English football legend for his playing career, Stuart Pearce made a promising start to life as a manager with Manchester City, before quicky being found out at the top level. He has since gone on to flop with the England Under-21s and is now in the Championship with Nottingham Forest, giving it another go.
2) Roy Keane
An all-time great in Manchester United’s history and the Premier League as a whole, Roy Keane’s managing career has been terribly modest in comparison, with failed spells in charge of Sunderland and Ipswich Town before moving into becoming an assistant for the Republic of Ireland and Aston Villa. The Irishman could amount to something yet, but for now he has little to boast on his coaching CV.
1) Diego Maradona
Widely regarded as the best player of all time, few will have been surprised that eccentric Argentine Diego Maradona is not exactly cut out for management. The once majestic forward who could do no wrong on the pitch took charge of Argentina for the 2010 World Cup, and actually did alright due to the immense talent in his squad, though they did crash out 4-0 to Germany in the quarter-finals of the competition.