In these days of extreme professionalism there appears to be little space in the game for the somewhat quirky role of the player-manager. Once a very popular method of leadership in a certain corner of west London in the late 90s, the days of managers pulling on their boots and joining the action appear to be fading fast.
Sport.co.uk takes a trip down nostalgia avenue to bring you ten managers who managed to combine their tactical nous with a sprinkle of on-field magic. Enjoy.
Adolfo Pedernera (CD Los Millonarios, 1950-1954)
Adolfo Pedernera was and still is considered to be one of the best players South America has seen. During a career that saw the Argentinean ply his trade with the likes of River Plate and Huracan and earn 36 caps for the national side, Pedernera stunned the footballing community with his vision and range of passing, enjoying great success as part of the great River Plate side that won five Argentine Championships between 1936 and 1945.
In 1949 Pedernera signed for Bogota-based outfit CD Los Millonarios, and by 1951 he had become the club’s player-manager. During his time in Colombia the Argentinean proved that his best days were not behind him, displaying great tactical knowledge alongside his on-field brilliance to guide Los Millonarios to three consecutive league triumphs and a Colombian cup win between 1951 and 1953.
Kenny Dalglish (Liverpool, 1985-1991)
Few players have been held in higher regard amongst Liverpool fans than Kenny Dalglish. In 515 appearances for The Reds, the Scot scored 172 goals and was a part of the all-conquering Liverpool side of the 1970s and 80s which won numerous league titles and four European Cups.
In 1985 the Kop legend was appointed player-manager and continued to enjoy great success at Anfield, bringing a further two league titles to Merseyside. However, Dalglish is probably best remembered for the dignity and emotional understanding with which he dealt with the Hillsborough tragedy in 1989. A true football great.
Graeme Souness (Rangers, 1986-1991)
Although Souness may have since tarnished his reputation with unsuccessful stints at Southampton and Newcastle amongst other clubs since his time in Glasgow, the five years the Scot spent at Ibrox as player-manager in the late 80s and early 90s were a trophy-laden time for the Blue half of the Old Firm.
After several years of being overshadowed by the likes of Celtic and Alex Ferguson’s Aberdeen, the late 1980s saw Rangers re-establish themselves in what became known as the ‘Souness Revolution’. Souness, Rangers’ first ever player-manager, pulled off some impressive signings, including England internationals Terry Butcher and Trevor Francis, assembling a squad that would go on to win three titles and three league cups before he departed to manage Liverpool in 1991.
Trevor Francis (Sheffield Wednesday, 1991-1995)
Best known for being the world’s first £1m signing when he joined Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest in 1979, England forward Trevor Francis turned his hand to management towards the end of his playing career, first at QPR and then, more successfully, with Sheffield Wednesday in the early 90s.
Although well past his sell-by date as a player when he arrived at Hillsborough as player-manager in 1991, Francis became an instant favourite amongst the Wednesday faithful. Despite being unable to avoid relegation to division two in his first year in charge, Francis subsequently masterminded The Owl’s return to the top-flight the following season. Francis also led Wednesday to both the FA and League Cup finals during the 1992-93 season, only to be foiled by Arsenal at the final hurdle in both competitions.
Mario Kempes (Pelita Jaya, 1996)
Along with Diego Maradona, Mario Kempes is emblematic of the dominance of world football Argentina enjoyed during the late 1970s. Kempes is widely considered to be one of the greatest deep-lying forwards the game has ever seen, enjoying success during the 1978 World Cup as part of Menotti’s famous Argentina side and showcasing his substantial talents with the likes of Valencia and River Plate.
Such is Kempes’ huge reputation in the game, it was something of a surprise when he took a management job with Albanian side KS Lushnja before moving on and dusting off his boots once more in his early forties to become player-manager of Indonesian outfit Pelita Jaya in 1996. Although Kempes didn’t achieve much in the way of notable success in Indonesia, the Argentinean legend is surely the most high profile player-manager to have been seen outside of Europe and South America.
Gordon Strachan (Coventry City, 1996-1997)
Although Strachan went on to manage Coventry until 2001, it was during the 1996-97 season that the Scotsman combined his idiosyncratic management style with the last season of his lengthy playing career which had begun at Dundee way back in the early 1970s.
Strachan made an instant impact upon his appointment, somehow keeping the Sky Blues in the Premier League by a solitary point when it had looked as if they were certain to be relegated. He also set what was the record for being the oldest outfield player in the Premier League at the time, pulling on the blue shirt of Coventry at the grand old age of 40.
Ruud Gullit (Chelsea, 1996-1998)
One of the greatest Dutch players to have ever graced the game of football, Chelsea fans knew they were in for a treat when Ruud Gullit chose to spend the last few years of his career in west London.
Having initially been signed on a bosman deal by Glen Hoddle, Gullit played the 1995-96 season as part of the squad before being appointed player-manager at the end of the campaign when Hoddle left to take on the England job. The Dutchman proved himself to be a highly astute manager, guiding Chelsea to sixth place in the Premiership and leading his side to victory in the 1997 FA Cup Final with his particular brand of “sexy football”. However, Gullit was sacked the following season after a disagreement with Ken Bates despite the club sitting an unprecedented second in the Premier League table.
Gianluca Vialli (Chelsea, 1998-2000)
Chelsea owner Ken Bates further displayed his fetish for player-managers when he appointed Gianluca Vialli in the role following the dismissal of Ruud Gullit in the early part of 1998.
Although Gullit had laid the groundwork for a successful season by leading Chelsea to two cup quarter-finals and second place in the league,
Vialli demonstrated good managerial ability alongside the 83 appearances he made for the Blues between 1996 and 1999. The Italian led the Stamford Bridge outfit to glory in both the Coca-Cola Cup and the European Cup Winners Cup in 1998, as well as guiding the team to a fourth place finish in the Premiership. Vialli made his final appearance for Chelsea in 1999 but continued as manager for another year, leading the club to yet another FA Cup victory in 2000.
Dennis Wise (Millwall, 2003-2005)
When the combative Dennis Wise took over the managerial reigns at Millwall in 2003, not many people expected an awful lot from the ex-Chelsea skipper. Some had seen his move to the New Den in 2002 as a mere means of extending his career by dropping down into the lower leagues.
However, Wise proved himself to be adept in the art of management, building a strong and competitive squad at Millwall, focussed around the talents of the likes of Tim Cahill, David Livermore and Paul Ifill. The club miraculously made it to the 2004 FA Cup final, the first club from outside the top-flight to have done so since 1992. Despite losing 3-0 to a rampant Manchester United, Millwall made it into the UEFA Cup for the 2004-05 season, an achievement many Millwall fans had never thought their side capable of.
Romario (Vasco Da Gama, 2007-2008)
Romario, the Brazilian goal machine, has long been regarded as one of football’s more colourful characters, perhaps not a man best suited to management. However, during the 2007-08 Brazilian season it was announced that Romario would be returning to Vasco Da Gama, the club where he made his name, as an interim player-manager.
Despite being 41 at the time he took over, the legend proved that he hadn’t lost his instinct for goal, scoring three times in the six games he played for the club during his time as manager. However, wherever Romario goes his controversial streak is rarely far behind, and after falling out with the chairman over intervention in team selection and also testing positive for the drug finasteride Romario left the club and has subsequently retired from the game.