Almost all managers played football at some level, so the transition from playing to coaching is nothing new, but it is the varying levels of success that make the conundrum as to which current player will make a top manager so intriguing.
Coaching is one thing, being the fall guy, which is what a manager essentially is, is a totally different ball game.
Which current player has the best chance of success? Who can handle the pressure of the watching world? We take a look.
#1 Xabi Alonso
Having announced that he will bring a glittering playing career to an end at the culmination of the current campaign, Alonso has been immediately linked with a host of clubs to become their manager. What’s more, he already has Pep Guardiola’s blessing.
What stands Alonso apart is how it is impossible to dislike him. The rapport he has with players at every club he has played at is palpable. Whether it is seeking out Steven Gerrard for a handshake in a TV studio, hurdling a barrier to celebrate with team-mates in the Champions League final or helping out youngsters, Alonso seems to relish building relationships, which is ultra-important for a manager.
“He [Alonso] was phenomenal with me in the two years I was there [in Liverpool],” Athletic Bilbao’s Mikel San Jose said in a recent interview. “Then we came back to Spain at the same time. I returned to Athletic and he went to Real Madrid. Since then, we have always had a very good relationship. As such a role model on the pitch, I'm sorry to see him retire.”
Everybody just loves him.
#2 John Terry
Not everyone’s cup of tea, with his many past demeanours still a firm fixture in rival fans’ minds, but there is no doubting Terry’s time in football is far from over.
He has made his mistakes in the past, but he isn’t alone – mega rich young footballers are not renowned for their level-headed outlook on life. Nowadays, there is a calmness to Terry, while that fire is still burning inside.
There has been no desire to leave Chelsea. He could have easily sought one final payday in China, but he is content to be part of Antonio Conte’s revolution at Stamford Bridge, learning from the Italian tactician every day.
“He is clever, he is really good at understanding situations and I think it could be a good prospect for him to start a new career as a manager,” Conte said of Terry’s management prospects earlier this year.
“But when he is finished. For now, leave him to play.” Play he might not, but Conte wants Terry for his influence in the dressing room. Such a strong presence is vital in management.
#3 Xabi Prieto
Not one normally associated with lists of this kind, but Real Sociedad man Prieto looks set for a career in management having had an almost perfect football upbringing.
Hailing from the area, Prieto has only ever know La Real, with the club overachieving for the most part, when you consider the majority of the playing personnel similarly come from the Basque region.
There has been no transfer nonsense, no upheaval, settling into new surroundings, his entire career has been entirely focused on playing football, and a man as intelligent as the 33-year-old has to have learned something from the plethora of top class opposition and team-mates he has come across in his career.
La Real will be the obvious choice for a first job, but using his wealth of knowledge, management may be his best chance to fly the coup.
#4 Gareth Barry
Some players have just been there, and done that, none more so than Barry.
When you play at the top level for almost 20 years, you have seen football evolve from a drinking culture to a sport brimming with some of the finest athletes on the planet. People who weren’t born when Barry made his debut for Aston Villa are facing the veteran week in week out. There is nothing he hasn’t seen. As a manager, any player tantrum, over enthusiastic agent, any training ground bust-up Barry could handle – he’s seen it all before.
Barry has had the controversial transfers, captained several sides, played a pivotal and often understated role in Manchester City’s title-winning season, is capped by his country over 50 times, all while serving under some of the best and worst managers in the game. Learning can often come in the form of how not to do things. Is there any management traits left for Barry to learn?
#5 Xavi
It is almost written, isn’t it? Former midfield dynamos Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique went on to oversee an unprecedented period of success at Barcelona, while another Barca linchpin is nearing the end of a glittering career, waiting to make the next step.
The problem Xavi would have if he were to be handed the reins at Barcelona in the near future, is that the fabled La Masia academy is looking a little thin on the ground in terms of the quality of graduates at the moment.
So, does Xavi simply go elsewhere for a few years, cut his teeth, wait for the next crop to come through, and return to a hero’s welcome? It may not work out as romantically as that, but the Spanish genius is destined for management, as you cannot waste such a beautiful footballing brain. When an artist can no longer paint, he instructs others how to.
