7 Managers We Reckon Could Still Do a Job If They Came out of Retirement
With Stevenage boss Teddy Sheringham registering himself as a player on Tuesday, the most common reaction has been one of shock.
But the 1998-1999 treble winner with Manchester United is the oldest player to have ever scored in the Premier League and has repeatedly shown over his career that age is no barrier to his performance.
We wouldn't be so quick to write 49-year-old Teddy off at the League Two strugglers and we want to see him do well, but his decision has got us thinking about other managers around the world who could still do a decent job as a player.
We've put together a list of seven managers we'd like to see lace up and give it one last crack.
Pep Guardiola
1 of 7
While the 44-year-old plans the conquest of Germany and Europe with Bayern Munich, we think Pep Guardiola could find a way to work himself into the side's plans.
Pace was never the most important aspect of the Spaniard's game, and he's kept himself in shape since his 2006 retirement—we think he could be a handy asset in the base of midfield.
Filippo Inzaghi
2 of 7
Two of Inzaghi's old clubs—Juventus and Milan—have endured difficult starts to the Serie A season, and we have to wonder how much harm could be done from unleashing the Italian striker on the domestic league.
It was, after all, just three years ago that Inzaghi retired, and though his time as Milan manager didn't quite work out, we still think there's a decent chance he could repair his reputation with the fans.
Ryan Giggs
3 of 7
Another who seemed to get better and better with age at Manchester United is Giggs, and Louis van Gaal could do worse than turn to his right-hand man in order to arrest the Red Devils' form slump.
Giggs scored more than 150 goals for United and is the Premier League's all-time assist leader. At 41, he's young enough to compete at the top level. Well, at least in Sheringham's book.
Eddie Howe
4 of 7
With Bournemouth's injury problems mounting, 37-year-old Eddie Howe might fancy his chances of coming off the bench this season.
That said, given that his retirement in 2007 was forced by injury, maybe he'd prefer not to.
The Cherries are set for a scrap for survival in the Premier League, and they could do with the former defender in their ranks to shore things up at the back.
Diego Simeone
5 of 7
Atletico Madrid are still just on the cusp of challenging Spain and Europe's elite since winning La Liga and competing in the Champions League final in 2014.
Diego Simeone, whose managerial expertise has pushed them to such heights, might want to inject himself into their midfield in order to push his troops over the line.
He was always known for his intelligence and tactical ability as a player and could find a way to make himself valuable to Atletico, even aged 45.
Zinedine Zidane
6 of 7
While the prospect of seeing Zinedine Zidane run around among Real Madrid Castilla might seem a bit bizarre, it would be rude of us not to include the Frenchman in this list.
The idea that Zidane, whose career ended so explosively at the World Cup in 2006, will ever be anything other than brilliant at football is just too difficult to comprehend.
Just imagine Zidane and Martin Odegaard running the side's midfield in the Spanish second tier...
Jose Mourinho
7 of 7
Alright, fine, we've picked this one purely for entertainment value.
The embattled Chelsea manager might never have been the same level player as he is manager, and at 52, his fitness might be questionable, but the prospect of seeing Jose Mourinho in the heat of the battle is just too enticing to ignore.
Who knows how well he would get on with referees, coaches or his medical staff as a player? Or his team-mates, for that matter...
