Dwight Yorke has emerged as an early contender to bring the pizzazz back to stricken Perth Glory by taking the coaching reins next season.
The Manchester United and Sydney FC great is coincidentally in advanced discussions to take charge of the A-League All Stars for their extravaganza against Spanish iconoclasts Barcelona in Sydney month.
Perth eye Yorke as a saviour
- Dwight Yorke is in consideration for the Perth Glory job as the struggling clubs looks for a new head coach.
- The Manchester United and Sydney FC legend has long cherished the ambition of coaching in the A-League.
- Yorke is already in line to take charge of the A-League All Stars in their glamour match against Barcelona on May 25 in Sydney.
And the prospect of the ex-Premier League maestro piggybacking off that glamour gig to spearhead a Glory rebuild is a distinct possibility in what would be the 50-year-old’s first foray into the coaching realm.
Yorke will be awarded his hard-earned FIFA Pro Licence in June after two years of study and graft, and would relish returning to the A-League - which he lit up as a player back in 2005 when he skippered the Sky Blues to the inaugural title.
The once swashbuckling striker was in Melbourne earlier this month as a Red Devils ambassador promoting July’s clash between United and Melbourne Victory (July 15) and Crystal Palace (July 19).
But the bigger picture for Dubai-based Yorke are his own coaching ambitions.
“I can’t comment on Perth because it’s not something I know about but I made it obvious when I was in Australia that my coaching qualification is all but done and I’m ready to make that transition into management,” Yorke told FTBL.
“I’m open to offers and seeing what’s out there and Australia is a place I’m very familiar with and everybody knows how things went for me as a player in the A-League, and my affiliation with the competition.
“I’m open to seeing what’s on the table. It would be an amazing journey to come back to Australia as a coach.
“I’ve made it clear to everybody that I’ve done all the studies and ticked all the boxes to become a coach.
“I feel like I’m now in a good place to go on that journey and I want to get into it as soon as possible.”
It’s understood that with rock bottom Glory in a state of flux following the sacking Richard Garcia and the ongoing struggles under caretaker Ruben Zadkovich, Yorke’s name has been mentioned internally as a potential elixir to the pain.
Businessman Kenny Keogh - brother of veteran Glory striker Andy - is believed to have taken a stake in the club alongside long-time owner Tony Sage, and Yorke hopes they are prepared to take a gamble on him.
“For me, it’s all about the right opportunity presenting itself. My history with the A-League is there for all to see and it would be amazing if something did pop up," added Yorke.
“It’s certainly not something I would turn my nose up at.”
Yorke declined to comment on the talks between himself and the Australian Professional Leagues over the May 25 visit of Barcelona to a packed Stadium Australia.
However if he does take the baton it could be a turbo boost to his A-League Men ambitions.
Glory CEO Tony Pignata said there had been no official talks with Yorke, as yet, but that there had been "quite a few applicants".
"I'm not going to name who has applied but we will start the process of identifying a new coach after our season has finished," he said.
"We know we have to rebuild - it's been a tough year. We'll just finish off the best we can and look to next season."
SOURCE: FTBL