Top five managers to represent most Premier League clubs in history

The English top-flight has long been heralded as one of the world's best competitions.

Each season of the age-old competition is filled with numerous subplots from rivalries to title races, to relegation scraps. Over the years, the English game has become familiar with a few names in the managerial department. These individuals have had their hand in a number of Premier League clubs and managed to leave their mark on the game over their years in the league.

We at Khel Now bring you a list of the top five managers to have managed the most clubs in the English Premier League. 

5. Roy Hodgson - (Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Liverpool, West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace)

Roy Hodgson is one of English football's most experienced managers, having made the transition in 1976 at the age of 29. Now 73, the Englishman is still going strong in the Premier League with Crystal Palace. 

Despite beginning his managerial career in 1976, it was not before 1997 that the former Swiss national team manager got his first stint in the Premier League, with Blackburn Rovers leading them to an amazing sixth-place finish in his first season. However, failures on the pitch would see him leave England, just four months into his second campaign. 

In 2007, Hodgson was given charge of league strugglers Fulham, keeping them in the Premier League before leading the Craven Cottage club to a seventh-place finish. It wasn't long before the pearly gates of Anfield came calling. However, it was not to be, as Hodgson's Liverpool stint of a mere six months would go down as one of the worst in the club's history. 

Not long after, Hodgson took charge of West Bromwich Albion for two seasons before moving on to head up the English national side. The 73-year-old returned to his boyhood club Crystal Palace at the end of 2017 for his latest stint in English football.

4. Alan Pardew - (West Ham United, Charlton Athletic, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace, West Bromwich Albion)

After his successful playing career with Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic, Alan Pardew made the move to managerial life with Reading. Five years on, he made his first appearance in the top flight when his erstwhile West Ham side gained promotion to the Premier League. A ninth-place finish in his first season and an FA Cup final appearance were the highlights of Pardew's Hammers career. After a dismal second season, the Englishman saw his stint at Upton Park come to an end. 

Pardew was then hired by his former club, Charlton Athletic who were languishing in 19th place in the league. Despite his best efforts, Pardew could not keep the club in the top flight. A short stint at Southampton followed for Pardew before his move to Newcastle United. Pardew won the Manager of the Season award for his fifth-place finish with the Magpies. 

Short stints with West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace followed. Pardew was last managing in the Eredivisie before the Covid-19 pandemic. A return to the Premier League could still be on the cards. 

3. Harry Redknapp - (West Ham United, Portsmouth, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Queens Park Rangers)

After a highly successful nine-year stint at the helm of AFC Bournemouth in the lower echelons of English football, Harry Redknapp made his first appearance in the big leagues when he accepted the managerial role at former club, West Ham United in 1996. Redknapp's Hammers would produce the likes of Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick, talents who would go on to shape the future of the English game for the following 20 years. 

Redknapp's next EPL stint was in 2003 when he led a spirited Portsmouth side to promotion, keeping them in the top flight for the following season. However, off-field disputes saw the Englishman leave the club to join rivals Southampton in a shocking move. 

Redknapp, however, failed to keep the Saints in the premier league, resigning just a year into his new job to return to Portsmouth for a second time. Soon after, the former Bournemouth man was hired by Spurs. His stint in North London will go down as one of their best in recent history as he led the club to a much-coveted champions league spot. 

Redknapp's final stint in the Premier League was at Queens Park Rangers as they failed to keep the club in the top flight in his first campaign but secured promotion in his second. 

2. Mark Hughes - (Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Fulham, Queens Park Rangers, Stoke City, Southampton)

After a glittering career at Manchester United, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Mark Hughes embarked on his managerial journey with the Welsh national side in 1999. 

His first premiership role came with Blackburn Rovers five years later, when the former striker was tasked with keeping the side in the top flight. His second season with Rovers saw him secure a European place at Blackburn. It was not long before the newly rich Manchester City came knocking at Sparky's door. 

However, one and a half years into his tenure at City, the Welshman was relieved of his duties. Short stints at Fulham and QPR followed for Hughes before he took up his longest-lasting position as manager of Stoke City. 

In 2018, Hughes took charge of relegation-threatened Southampton, ensuring safety for the Saints but was shown the door due to poor performances the next season. With time on his side, it is conceivable to see Hughes in the Premier League once more. 

1. Sam Allardyce - (Bolton Wanderers, West Ham United, Blackburn Rovers, Sunderland, Everton, Newcastle, Crystal Palace)

Topping the list with a massive seven Premier League clubs managed, is big Sam Allardyce. The former Bolton Wanderers player made his first appearance in the Premier League managerial dugout with his former club as his eight years in charge, saw them climb into the Premier League from Division one, cement themselves as top-flight regulars and even earn a European spot in the process. Allardyce left the club on a high to join Newcastle United as one of the hottest managers in the league. 

However, his tenure at St.James Park lasted just 21 games due to a run of dismal performances. 

Big Sam then took over the reins at Blackburn Rovers who were in 19th place, keeping them in the top flight for another season, birthing his reputation as an expert at rescuing clubs from the drop in the process. Allardyce's next appointment came at Upton Park in the Championship, guiding the Hammers to the promotion and making them Premier League regulars over the course of his four seasons at the club. 

Allardyce soon was responsible for another great escape with Sunderland, going against all odds to keep Premier League football at the Stadium of Light. An ill-fated stint at the English national side followed before Allardyce returned to the premier league for short stints with Palace and Everton. 

Given his reputation, it won't be long till fans see the domineering figure of Sam Allardyce again, on the touchline, fighting to keep his side in the league. 

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