by Mick the Ram

Former Trinidad and Tobago striker Dwight Yorke has been appointed head coach of his home country.

The former Manchester United forward won 72 caps for Trinidad and Tobago between 1989 and 2009, scoring 19 goals, and captained them at their only World Cup tournament held in Germany in 2006.

He retired from playing in 2009 and has previously had a spell as his country’s assistant manager.

This is his second job as a manager, having managed Australian A-League side Macarthur FC during the 2022-23 season, although he was sacked in January 2023, a decision that saw him win an unfair dismissal claim.

The appointment is a great birthday present for Yorke who turns 53-years-old on 3 November.

Pride in the appointment

A very proud Dwight Yorke spoke of how much of a privileged and honour it was to be given the opportunity to lead his home nation.

He called the squad he has inherited a “talented, close-knit group of players” and reminded everyone how his “love and commitment” to the national team has already been well-documented.

Yorke added: “As a player I experienced some incredible moments in a Trinidad and Tobago shirt. I saw first hand how working together to achieve our targets brought joy and united our country.”

He captained the Soca Warriors at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, although they failed to advance beyond the group stage – hardly surprising as they were placed alongside England, Sweden and Paraguay.

An inspiration

Discussing his arrival, TTFA President Kieron Edwards said: “With World Cup qualification in our sights, we’re thrilled to welcome Dwight Yorke as the new head coach of our Men’s National Team.”

He highlighted Yorke’s experience, leadership, and commitment to the red, white, and black, identifying that they were the qualities required to “inspire our players and our nation.”

Shock dismissal

In his last post at Macarthur FC – which lasted between July 2022 and January 2023 – Yorke won 10 of his 19 matches, drawing three and losing the other six, and also led his side to Australia Cup success.

However, despite his excellent record, he surprisingly had his contract terminated after just seven months, an action that was blamed on a “huge dressing room clash”.

Scathing of team performance

The sacking came about following a defeat by Adelaide United which prompted him to compare his squad to that of a “pub team” and claimed the club was “run by muppets from top to bottom”.

Macarthur said the comments damaged the reputation and interests of the club, after it became publicly known and was reported by the media.

Vindication sweet for Yorke

Unsurprisingly Yorke won an unfair dismissal case and the Sydney club were ordered to pay Yorke $212,500 in compensation by a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Yorke was naturally thrilled at the decision, saying: “I am delighted to have been vindicated. That I was denied the chance to build on my work with Macarthur – which has already yielded short-term results – will always be a source of sadness.”

Fantastic spell at United

Yorke’s playing career started at Aston Villa where he hit 98 goals in 287 appearances, before earning himself a move to Manchester United in 1998.

He would go on to enjoy remarkable success in the four seasons at Old Trafford, scoring 54 goals in the 165 games played.

In his first season he was part of the incredible treble-winning team and formed a deadly strike-partnership with Andy Cole. He finished that season as the Premier League’s joint top scorer alongside Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Michael Owen  to win the Golden Boot.

Only way is up?

He joins his country with them sitting second behind Costa Rica in a five-team World Cup qualifying group, with the top two to progress. They are currently ranked 102nd in the world.