5 successful player-managers in English football

#4 Kenny Dalglish

Kenny Dalglish is arguably the most successful player-manager of them all

Although his most recent tenure as manager of Liverpool ended in abject disaster, Kenny Dalglish’s initial run as Anfield boss– most of the tenure as player-manager– was hugely successful, making him perhaps the most successful player-manager of all time. Dalglish had already spent eight seasons at Liverpool prior to his appointment as manager, and in that time he’d amassed a ludicrous haul of trophies, winning the First Division title 6 times, the European Cup 3, and the FA Cup once. He was appointed as Liverpool’s player-manager in the summer of 1985, at the age of 34.

Despite only starting in 21 league games in 1985/86, his first season as player-manager, he still played a key role in Liverpool’s ongoing success and led them to a club first – a league and FA Cup double. Dalglish scored five goals that season, including a goal in a 1-0 win over Chelsea that confirmed the Reds as league champions. While he scored 8 goals in 1986/87, Liverpool didn’t win any trophies, but 1987/88 saw them back on top – they won the league with four games to go, following an unbeaten run of 29 league games that ended in February 1988.

Dalglish eventually began to play less and less, ending his active playing career in May 1990 with a final appearance as a substitute in a game against Derby County. He was 39 years old at the time, making him one of Liverpool’s oldest ever players. He would remain at Liverpool until 1990/91 when he surprisingly resigned with the side still top of the league and in the FA Cup, a move that still baffles people today.

His final trophy count was 11, including three league titles and two FA Cups, making him probably the most successful player-manager ever, and it was no surprise when he returned to football as manager of Blackburn Rovers and led them to success too.