Former Premier League hardman Kevin Muscat has reinvented himself as a coach – and he’s now hunting down trophies instead of strikers.
The Aussie, whom many regard as the ‘dirtiest player’ to have graced the English top flight, has been raking in titles as a coach in recent years. And the former Wolves and Crystal Palace defender recently scooped up his latest gong after leading Shanghai Port to the Chinese Super League title by just one point.
Known for his no-nonsense approach on the pitch, Muscat soared to success at Melbourne Victory, where he snagged two A-League crowns in his first coaching job. He then took his craft to Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan, where he bagged the J1 League crown before adding China’s highest domestic honour to his managerial medal collection.
Ex-Chelsea maestro Oscar wears the captain’s armband for Shanghai Port and helped propel Muscat’s men to silverware this past season. And the tactical genius is a long way from the figure who once struck fear into opposition forwards; just ask Peter Crouch.
“Kevin Muscat scared me,” said Crouch while recalling his encounters with Muscat on his podcast in 2018 (via The Mirror). “You know people say, ‘I’m going to break your legs’? When he would say it, you genuinely believed him.”
Crouch, 43, was beginning to make a name for himself at QPR and Portsmouth while Muscat was striving to take Wolves to the Premier League around the new millennium. And it’s understandable such a formidable figure would have instilled fear in the rising star.
(Image: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
The former England striker – who later shone for Tottenham, Liverpool and Stoke City in the Premier League – netted just once in four matches against Muscat’s teams. Crouch scored the first goal at Molineux on the inaugural day of the 2001/02 Championship (or First Division) season, only for Wolves to rally from two goals behind to secure a draw.
Muscat racked up no fewer than 123 yellow cards and was dismissed 12 times during his 12-year playing career. The 46-cap former Australia international was notorious for his carefree approach when it came to accumulating bookings.
However, his aggressive style of play doesn’t imply he lacks tactical acumen given he’s won league titles with three of the four clubs he has coached. The only team he’s managed but failed to clinch silverware with is Belgian side Sint-Truidense, where he was sacked after just six months at the helm.