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The Premier League has been home to several footballing greats. Several legendary teams have won the English top-flight over the years, including Arsenal's Invincibles, Manchester United's treble-winners and Manchester City's centurions.
These teams have also been hallmarked by some incredible players. While Patrick Vieira was the captain of the unbeaten Arsenal team, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored United's stoppage-time winner against Bayern Munich in the 1999 UCL final. These players left their clubs as heroes and have now returned in recent times as managers.
While Vieira and Solksjaer are certainly notable examples, many other legendary players have also taken over as managers at different clubs. Here, we look at five such players who played in the Premier League and then successfully transitioned into management.
#5 Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard is arguably Chelsea's greatest player ever. Synonymous with the club's years of success in the Premier League era, the Englishman ended his association with Chelsea as a player in 2014.
Lampard joined the Blues in 2001 after an excellent spell with West Ham. The attacking midfielder quickly found his feet and became a vital cog in Chelsea's midfield for more than a decade afterwards. Lampard ended up making 648 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions, scoring 211 goals and contributing 150 assists.
He also won trophy after trophy with the club. Lampard's collection of silverware includes three Premier Leagues, four FA Cups, a Champions League, two EFL Cups and a Europa League. He left Chelsea in 2014 to join MLS side New York City FC, who inevitably shipped him on loan to Manchester City for the 2014-15 season.
Lampard's move to City was not well received, but it was all forgotten when he returned as Chelsea manager in 2019, replacing Maurizio Sarri. Lampard produced some excellent results during his first season as Chelsea manager and brought several of the club's youth prospects into the first team. Key among them were the likes of Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and Billy Gilmour.
Lampard guided Chelsea to the FA Cup final, where they lost 2-1 to Arsenal, and a fourth-place finish in the 2019-20 Premier League season. However, a string of poor results in late 2020 and early 2021 meant he was sacked by the Blues midway through the subsequent campaign. The Englishman was replaced by Thomas Tuchel, who has since gone on to win the Champions League and UEFA Super Cup with Chelsea.
Also Check Out: Frank Lampard Net Worth
#4 Wayne Rooney
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has endured a rocky start to management. But if his playing career is anything to go by, the Englishman is bound to improve multifold with time.
Rooney joined the Red Devils in 2004 from Everton and stayed until 2017 when he transferred back to the Toffees. In the 13 years between, the striker quickly made a name for himself as one of the best all-round players of all time. Rooney registered a staggering 253 goals and 146 assists for United in 559 matches. He added to his trophy cabinet almost every season.
The Manchester United talisman won five Premier Leagues, four EFL Cups, an FA Cup domestically. Rooney also added the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Europa League to his list of honors.
After an immensely successful club career, Rooney was appointed as the caretaker manager of Championship side Derby County in 2020. This was then turned into a full-time managerial position in early 2021. Under Rooney, Derby managed to stay up in the Championship on the last day of the 2020-21 season. However, they have gotten off to a rocky start this time around and find themselves in 16th with just one win and seven points from as many matches.
#3 Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira is synonymous with Arsenal's best moments in Premier League history. The Frenchman captained the Invincible Gunners side, leading them to 26 wins and 12 draws in the 2003-04 season in the English top-flight.
Vieira was known not only for his tremendous leadership, but also for his incredible quality on the ball. The defensive midfielder often protected the Gunners' defense but could also slalom forward, exchange one-touch passes and score the odd goal or two.
Vieira ended his Arsenal career with three Premier Leagues, four FA Cups and three Community Shields. He managed 396 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 32 goals and assisting a further 43. Vieira eventually wrapped up his playing career after spells with Juventus, Inter Milan and Manchester City.
The Frenchman's managerial journey began with the Cityzens as he took over the club's academy before managing their U19 and U21 squads. Vieira then took over the reins at MLS club New York City FC in January 2016. He managed the club until June 2018, winning 40 out of his 90 matches in charge.
Vieira subsequently moved to French club OGC Nice in 2018, but recorded a win percentage of less than 40% (35 wins in 89 matches). Nice eventually sacked him in 2020. Vieira is now in charge of Crystal Palace, who he recently led to a 3-0 victory over Arsenal's London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
#2 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains an enigma when it comes to management. Having held the reigns at Manchester United for almost three years, the Norwegian continues to baffle critics. There are times when Solskjaer's side are incredible to watch with their free-flowing attacking football and also ones where they struggle to break down opponents they should be beating with ease.
But as a player, Solskjaer held an incredible record. The forward was often used as an impact substitute by Sir Alex Ferguson and he justified that role more often than not. Solskjaer, who spent 11 years at Manchester United, ended his career with 126 goals and 50 assists.
He also won multiple trophies with the Red Devils. Solskjaer's playing career was adorned with six Premier Leagues, two FA Cups, a Champions League and an Intercontinental Cup.
The Norwegian retired in 2007 and went on to pursue management. Solksjaer won three domestic titles in Norway, but has struggled on English shores. He was relegated with Cardiff City before returning to the Premier League as Manchester United's caretaker manager in December 2018.
That role became permanent in March 2019 and United have looked good in patches under Solskjaer. Overall, the Red Devils have managed 88 victories in 156 matches under the Norwegian since his appointment as caretaker manager.
Solskjaer has, however, received plenty of criticism for his inability to bring a trophy to Old Trafford. That could change this year with United boasting an excellent squad and silverware-winning pedigree in their ranks.
#1 Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard may not be plying his trade in the Premier League, but he is undoubtedly one of the most promising managers going around. The Liverpool legend, who spent close to 20 years with the club and 17 with the first team, currently manages Scottish side Rangers.
Gerrard joined the Liverpool academy as a youngster. His talent quickly propelled him to the U18 side, from where he transitioned to the first team after just two years. After making his debut in 1998, Gerrard went on to play for the Reds until 2015.
In those years, the midfield maestro made 710 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 186 goals and registering 150 assists. Although a Premier League medal evaded his grasp, Gerrard still managed to fill his cabinet with plenty of silverware. The Englishman won two FA Cups, three League Cups, a Champions League, a UEFA Cup (now the UEFA Europa League) and two UEFA Super Cups.
Post his exit from Liverpool, Gerrard joined MLS side LA Galaxy in 2015. He made 39 appearances for the side, registering five goals and 15 assists, before concluding his playing career.
Following his spell in the USA, Gerrard rejoined Liverpool as a youth team coach. He also managed the Reds' U18 and U19 sides before leaving the club once again in 2018. Gerrard then joined Rangers in June 2018 and has remained at the club since. The Englishman's record at the Scottish club is excellent as he has guided them to 117 wins in 180 matches.
Under Gerrard, Rangers also went unbeaten in the league for the entirety of the 2020-21 season. They recorded 32 wins and six draws to finish as champions with 102 points, 25 clear of arch-rivals Celtic.
