A former Chelsea and Tottenham star has made a surprise return to management in South Korea.
The 57-year-old racked up a combined 187 Premier League appearances for the two London clubs during an impressive time in the game that also saw him play for the likes of River Plate and Zaragoza.
The star – who won 26 caps for his country – subsequently moved into management after retiring and has enjoyed a coaching career that has seen him take on roles in six different countries.
And now, he has added a seventh nation after joining a club in South Korea in the K League, where former England and Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard plays.
The Premier League cult hero in question is Gus Poyet, with the Uruguayan appointed as the new manager of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on Tuesday.
Poyet, 57, has been out of management since he left his role with Greece in March when they narrowly missed out on qualifying for Euro 2024.
A Premier League cult hero has made a surprise return to management in South Korea
Gus Poyet has been appointed as the new manager of K League side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Poyet, who has coached more than 400 games, recently left Greece after two years in charge
He originally made his name in management with Brighton, who he led to the League One title, before he spent a year-and-a-half in charge of Sunderland in the Premier League.
Poyet has also enjoyed spells at AEK Athens, Real Betis, Shanghai Shenhua, Bordeaux and Chilean side Universidad Catolica.
He will take over a Jeonbuk side who narrowly avoided relegation in the 2024 season, despite being the most decorated team in South Korean history with nine K League titles.
In fact, they were forced to hold off Seoul E-Land FC from the K League 2 in the promotion-relegation play-off.
Speaking after his appointment, Poyet, who was also interviewed for the South Korea job earlier this year, expressed his excitement at the new opportunity.
‘The K League is a new challenge for me as head coach, and I hope to make it a successful one,’ he said.
‘In football, I believe communication and trust can take precedence over tactics and strategies.
‘I will communicate with my players and earn trust from the fans, so that Jeonbuk can once again become the best team in the K League.’
Jeonbuk endured a difficult season in 2024 and almost suffered an embarrassing relegation
Poyet’s coaching is known in England for his time in charge of both Brighton and Sunderland
Jeonbuk added in a statement: ‘He experienced ups and downs as a coach in the Premier League, which is the world’s greatest competition.
‘And we felt his experience and know-how will help fuel our efforts to bounce back.
‘We considered his ability to communicate with players to be his greatest strength, something that will help him manage high-quality players on our club.’
Poyet will arrive in South Korea this weekend and is set to be joined by Mauricio Taricco, who has worked as his assistant throughout his managerial career.
The K League runs annually, with the 2025 edition expected to begin in March.
The 57-year-old’s return to the dugout also comes after he exclusively spoke to Mail Sport in August about his plans for the future.
‘I want to get back (in to management),’ Poyet had said.
‘But I’m not in a hurry. At the start I was like “OK, can I get a national team again?”. Because it was very enjoyable for my character.
‘And then the clubs start calling and for me what is different to other coaches is that I’m a little bit worldwide after working in England, Spain, France, Greece, China and South America.
‘So they call me from anywhere really but I’m trying to be a bit calm and not jump in to a job.
‘I want to make sure my next step is a proper one so I’m a little bit selective but it’s more difficult to find that place for sure.’
