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Top ten list
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There’s very rarely a happy tale to tell when players return to their old clubs with the ambition of reviving former glories. The romanticism of returning heroes often warms the hearts of supporters but some things are best left in the past. Although he scored at an impressive rate, Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United wasn’t successful on the pitch even though it bolstered commercial revenue.
There’s various other examples in English Premier League history like Wayne Rooney’s Everton return, Thierry Henry briefly heading back to Arsenal and Robbie Fowler at Liverpool. It’s slightly different with managers returning to clubs they previously played for with some high-profile success stories. Pep Guardiola managed one of the greatest sides in history at his boyhood club Barcelona, as did Johan Cruyff. Carlo Ancelotti enjoyed great success at AC Milan and Zinédine Zidane won three Champions League titles with Real Madrid. But which former players have the best managerial record at Premier League clubs? Let’s find out.
Players returning to manage Premier League clubs
Using Transfermarkt’s vast database, we’ve analysed the individuals that have managed a minimum of 20 games at a Premier League club. And Mikel Arteta has the best points per game record with the manager’s points per game record at 1.99. Arteta has transformed the North London club since his appointment in 2019 and Arsenal are the favourites to win the Premier League this season.
As the graphic below illustrates, Roberto Di Matteo ranks second with a 1.98 ppg record at Chelsea. The Italian was famously sacked after winning the Champions League and another former Chelsea boss ranks third in Gianluca Vialli. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sits in fourth place with his record of 1.88 ppg at Manchester United. Some famous faces feature in the top ten, including Frank Lampard at Chelsea.
