Former Players With New Careers as Backroom Staff

Latest news in the English Premier League is that former Chelsea player Roberto Di Matteo has joined the club as Assistant Manager to Andre Villas-Boas. Now this is a fantastic aquisition by the Chelsea board as it will go a long way to placate the small section of Chelsea fans that view the appointment of 33 year old Villas-Boas as a risk.

With Chelsea bringing in Di Matteo for this role it continues the trend of Premier League clubs appointing former players as part of their vitally important backroom staff. Most of the clubs in the Premier League have adapted this policy and there are a number of reasons why they do this. The most important is down to the fact that a former player knows the current players, management team and club culture which therefore makes it a lot easier to perform his duties.

Many current players in the English Premier League who are coming towards the end of their careers are now looking at coaching roles when they hang up their boots. Paul Scholes is the latest player to have gone into coaching and many feel that his former Manchester United team mate Ryan Giggs will also pursue a coaching career when he retires. Some other big names have been banded about as potential coaches within the next couple of years namely David Beckham, Alan Shearer, Gary Neville and Sol Campbell - watch this space.....

Premier League clubs who have players in their backroom staff who have had Premier League experience.

Arsenal - Steve Bould Youth Team Coach
Aston Villa - Gary McAllister Assistant Manager, Gordon Cowans First Team Coach
Bolton - David Lee Assistant Academy Director, Jimmy Phillips Academy Manager, Gavin McCann & Neil Pointon Academy Coaches
Blackburn - John Jensen Assistant Manager, Bobby Mimms Goalkeeping Coach
Chelsea - Roberto Di Matteo Assistant Manager
Everton - Chris Woods Goalkeeping Coach
Fulham - Mark Bowen Assistant Manager, Glyn Hodges First Team Coach, Billy McKinlay First Team Development Coach, Kevin Hitchcock Goalkeeping Coach
Liverpool - Steve Clarke First Team Coach
Man City - Scott Sellars Academy Team Manager, David Platt First Team Coach, Atillio Lombardo First Team Coach
Man Utd - Mike Phelan Assistant Manager
Newcastle - Steve Stone First Team Coach, Peter Beardsley Reserve Team Coach
Norwich - Ian Culverhouse Assistant Manager
QPR - Keith Curle First Team Coach, Carl Serrant Strength and Conditioning Coach
Sunderland - Nigel Spink Goalkeeping Coach, Stephen Clemence Reserve/ Development Coach
Tottenham -Tim Sherwood Assistant First Team Coach, Les Ferdinand Striker Coach
Wigan - Dave Watson Youth Team Coach
West Bromwich Albion - Dean Kiely Goalkeeping Coach
Wolves - Tony Daley, First Team Fitness and Conditioning Coach

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