After working his magic with Chennaiyin FC during the last season of the Indian Super League, Owen Coyle has turned his attention to Jamshedpur FC for the upcoming season of the tournament.
The former Bolton Wanderers manager was confirmed as the head coach of Jamshedpur FC for the ISL 2020-21 season, on Friday. The 54-year-old Coyle, a Scot by birth and an Irishman by descent, had propelled Chennaiyin FC to a runners-up finish last season after taking charge midway through their campaign.
He joined the Chennai team after the then head coach John Gregory was sacked following five defeats in the first six matches. After Coyle took charge, Chennaiyin FC made a stunning turnaround, winning 12 of the 14 remaining matches, before losing to ATK in the final.
"It''s going to be a huge challenge. Young Indian players are hugely important. We have to stand together. I''ll make sure that when they speak about ISL, they speak about Jamshedpur FC. I want to bring success to this wonderful club," Coyle said about his new assignment.
"We''re looking at all areas. The most important factor at the end of the day is to score goals. We are working very hard to secure a good goal scorer. I am very excited to play with Indian players. They are so hard working," Coyle said after the announcement.
Coyle will be Jamshedpur FC''s fourth manager in the three years of its existence in the ISL. The club secured fifth spots under Steve Coppell and Cesar Ferrando in their first two seasons, followed by a disappointing eighth-place finish under Antonio Iriondo last season.
During his professional career, Coyle had played for several clubs in England and Scotland, including the likes of Bolton Wanderers and Motherwell FC. He made one appearance for the Ireland national team.
He has previously managed English premiership teams, Burnley and Bolton Wanderers, and is credited with getting the former promoted to the Premier League in 2009.
(With PTI inputs)
