Premier League cult hero makes surprise return to management in South Korea – as he takes his coaching career to a seventh country

A former Chelsea and Tottenham star has made a surprise return to management in South Korea.

The 57-year-old made a total of 187 Premier League appearances for the two London clubs during an impressive spell in the game, which also saw him feature for the likes of River Plate and Zaragoza.

The star – who won 26 caps for his country – then moved into management after retiring and has had a coaching career that has seen him take on roles in six different countries.

And now he has added a seventh country 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 leaving his role with Greece in March as they narrowly qualified for the 2024 European Championship.

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He originally made his name as manager at Brighton, who he led to the League One title, before spending a year and a half in charge of Sunderland in the Premier League.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 Chile’s Universidad Catolica.

He will take charge of a Jeonbuk side that 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.

Poyet, who was also interviewed for the position in South Korea earlier this year, expressed his excitement about the new opportunity after his appointment.

“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 that communication and trust can take priority over tactics and strategies.

“I will communicate with my players and gain the trust of the fans so that Jeonbuk can become the best team in the K League again.”

Jeonbuk had a difficult season in 2024 and almost suffered an embarrassing relegation

Poyet’s coaching is renowned in England for his time in charge of both Brighton and Sunderland

Jeonbuk added in a statement: “He has experienced ups and downs as a coach in the Premier League, the biggest league in the world.

“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 at our club.”

Poyet arrives in South Korea this weekend and will be joined by Mauricio Taricco, who has worked as his assistant throughout his managerial career.

The K League is held annually and the 2025 edition is expected to start in March.

The 57-year-old’s return to the dugout also comes after he spoke exclusively to Mail Sport in August about his plans for the future.

“I want to go back to management,” Poyet had said.

‘But I’m in no hurry. At the start I thought: “OK, can I get a national team again?”. Because it was a lot of fun for my character.

‘And then the clubs start calling and what’s different for me from other coaches is that I’m a bit global, having worked in England, Spain, France, Greece, China and South America.

‘So they’re actually calling me from everywhere, but I’m trying to stay a bit calm and not get started right away.

“I want to make sure my next step is a good one, so I’m a little selective, but it’s harder to find that spot for sure.”