Top 5 famous players who have gone into management

Some of the names are considered as legends of the game.

It takes a great understanding and tactical knowledge of the game to outsmart the opposition from the touchline. Coaching is the first option a player ventures into after ending his playing career. We have seen the likes of Diego Maradona who had a tremendous playing career, but failed miserably in management.

Over the years we have seen many players transitioning into coaching. Some of them succeeded while few are freshly into the scene, eagerly waiting to learn the tricks of the trade in the upcoming season.

Khel Now presents five such famous players who have gone into coaching after ending their illustrious playing career.  

5. Miroslav Klose

Klose joined Bayern Munich as the U-17 coach recently

The German legend had an amazing playing career. Starting from Homburg as a talented youngster, he put an end to his career in 2016 while playing for Lazio. The striker has 529 senior-team caps and 213 goals for the various teams he played for.  Klose also adorned the Die Mannschaft colours for 13 wonderful years, earning 137 caps and 71 goals for them. The German announced his retirement from international football following Germany's win at 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Klose joined Joachim Low's coaching staff with Germany after retirement to try his luck in coaching. Bayern Munich recently announced his appointment as the head coach of their U-17 team. This stint with Bayern Munich U-17s could motivate him to try his luck at a more bigger stage in the future.

4. Patrick Vieira

The Arsenal legend enjoyed a great playing career. The midfielder was part of France's 1998 World Cup-winning squad as well as the backbone and captain of Arsenal's Invincibles squad. Vieira enjoyed the majority of his club success at Arsenal, winning three Premier League titles and three FA Cups before ending his career at Manchester City at the end of the 2010-11 season. The midfielder also has 107 caps for Les Blues in a span of 13 years.

Vieira began his coaching career after accepting the role of Football Development Executive at Manchester City. After spending four years with the Citizens, the Frenchman joined MLS club New York City as head coach.

3. Steven Gerrard

Gerrard was unveiled as the Rangers manager recently

The 37-year-old graced the Liverpool jersey for over 25 years right from the beginning of his youth career to his entire senior career. Gerrard has 120 goals from 502 caps for the Reds under his belt. The midfielder also earned 114 caps for the Three Lions during his career.

Following his retirement, Gerrard was appointed as the Youth Coach at Liverpool,  taking charge of their U-18 and U-19 sides. He was recently appointed as the manager of Scottish side Rangers, which is definitely a major break for his managerial career.

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2. Ryan Giggs

Giggs during his unveiling as the Wales national team manager

Ryan Giggs, the Manchester United legend wore the red jersey for 24 years. The midfielder holds the record for the most appearances for the Red Devils, having been capped for a whopping 672 times. The midfield maestro also won 13 Premier League titles and numerous individual awards to his name throughout his stint with the Old Trafford side.

The for Wales international began his coaching career with a player-manager role at United under David Moyes. He later went on to become United's interim manager after the sacking of Moyes in the 2013-14 season. He was recently appointed as the manager of the Welsh national team, adding another feather to his coaching career.

1. Zinedine Zidane

Zidane has led Real Madrid to three consecutive European finals

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Zidane's career as a player was filled with glory. The playmaker has tasted success at both club and international level. Zinedine Zidane was an instrumental player for France in their 1998 World Cup triumph and received the Man of the Match award in the final. He also has a Ballon d'Or and three FIFA Player of the Year awards to his name.

The 45-year-old began his managerial career after getting appointed as a special adviser at Real Madrid's senior team in 2010. Three years later, Zidane was appointed as the assistant coach to Carlo Ancelotti in 2013. The former Los Blancos ace also coached Real Madrid Castilla from 2014-16. He is just a single step away from winning his third consecutive Champions League, a feat which no manager has achieved so far.