East Bengal appoint Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler as new head coach

The 45-year-old last managed A-League side Brisbane Roar FC and guided them to the playoffs.

Shree Cement East Bengal Foundation is delighted to announce the appointment of Liverpool legend and former England striker Robbie Fowler as the Head Coach for its first team which will take part in the 2020-21 Hero Indian Super League (ISL) season.

“We are happy to appoint the legendary Robbie Fowler as the Head Coach for the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) season. It is a two-year contract as of now but we hope to have a long, fruitful, and trophy laden collaboration. Robbie comes in with a wealth of experience having played with and against the best,” Mr. H. M. Bangur, Managing Director of Shree Cement, said.

“Besides Robbie, we have appointed seven foreign coaches who have top-level coaching experience. We hope our coaching staff will not only help the club achieve success but also the league as a whole,” he added.

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Fowler, 45, last managed A-League side Brisbane Roar FC, guiding the side to the play-offs and fourth position in the league before the season was curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In 22 matches in charge, Fowler guided Brisbane Roar FC to 10 wins, five draws, and seven losses in what was his first full-time appointment as head coach since the end of his illustrious playing career.

In the 2011-12 season Fowler, a UEFA Pro Licence holder, was player-coach at Thailand club Muangthong United, helping the team to a third-place finish. He had also spent time as a mentor with Liverpool's academy and completed his UEFA Pro Licence in 2017.

A youth product of Liverpool, Fowler made his senior debut for Liverpool in 1993 and went on to play until 2001. In 2001, he moved to Leeds United where he had spent two seasons before joining Manchester City.

Fowler returned to Anfield in 2006 and spent two more seasons at the club finishing as the Liverpool’s third-highest goalscorer with 183 goals in 369 games.

One of the most prolific goalscorers of his generation, Fowler is Premier League’s all-time seventh highest goal scorer with 163 goals to his name. Fowler later also played for Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers in England before moving to Australia where he turned out for North Queensland Fury and Perth Glory.

For England, Fowler scored seven goals in 26 matches and was included in the Three Lions’ squads for Euro 1996, Euro 2000, and the 2002 World Cup.

Coaching staff of East Bengal: Head coach: Robbie Fowler, Assistant coach: Anthony Grant, Set piece coach Terence McPhillips, Goalkeeping coach: Robert Mimms, Sports Scientist: Jack Inman, Physiotherapist: Michael Harding, Analyst: Joseph Walmsley, Indian Assistant Coach: Renedy Singh