By Michael Church
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke says he has not given up on his managerial ambitions despite experiencing a frustrating end to his stint at A-League side Macarthur FC earlier this year.
Yorke was given a long-awaited opportunity in management when he took over at the Sydney-based outfit in July and he led the fledgling club to their first trophy in their third year as a professional concern with victory in the Australia Cup.
However, internal issues saw the ex-Trinidad and Tobago international part company with Macarthur by mutual consent in January but the 51-year-old has not given up on his managerial hopes despite the abrupt end to his stint in Australia.
“All I ever wanted by getting into management was to do the football side of things,” Yorke told Reuters ahead of this weekend’s HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens where he was a guest speaker.
“That’s why you hire me, to take care of that.
“I felt I did a pretty good job of doing that, based on where the team where and what we had done, winning the first trophy for the club.
“Sitting fourth in the league wasn’t a terrible start, with a win percentage of nearly 60 percent.
“I think I was doing relatively OK, but there’s more to management than that sometimes and sometimes behind the scenes things aren’t perfect.”
Yorke left Macarthur as speculation grew over meddling by the club’s hierarchy in team affairs and he was linked with an immediate return to management as a replacement for the then-under pressure Steve Corica at Sydney FC.
The move to Sydney, where he spent a one-year spell towards the tail-end of his playing career, failed to materialise as Corica remained in position and Yorke has since returned to his base in Dubai as he waits for his next opportunity.
And while he would not rule out another stint in the A-League, Yorke is keeping his options open.
“Macarthur was a great experience to start with,” he said. “I’ve actually got that experience now when people say I haven’t managed before, which seems to be an issue in terms of getting a job.
“I will never say never in football. But (the Macarthur job) was not what I expected it to be, in terms of how it ended.
“I’m out of Sydney and I’m back in Dubai and seeking jobs elsewhere. That’s part and parcel of the game and there are tonnes and tonnes of managers out there who are doing exactly the same, trying to get that break.”
(Reporting by Michael Church; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
