Major trophy winners with the same club as player and manager

In football, some individuals just suit certain clubs – and these are some of the ultimate examples.

Each of the big names you’re about to see got their hands on major silverware playing for and managing the same side.

Let’s get straight into it, shall we?

A serial winner as a Celtic player, Neil Lennon helped the Old Firm giants to five Scottish Premier League titles, four Scottish Cups and two Scottish League Cups during the 00s.

The ex-Northern Ireland midfielder returned to Celtic Park as manager for the first time in 2010, steering the Bhoys to cup victory in his first season at the helm – before doing his first double as coach the following campaign.

Legendary Romanian boss Emerich Jenei spent the vast majority of his playing career with Steaua Bucharest – winning three top-flight titles and four Romanian Cups.

As manager, he led Steaua to their greatest success – victory in the 1985/86 European Cup, beating Barcelona in the final – in addition to six league titles and three domestic cup crowns.

Antonio Conte claimed every major honour available while playing in midfield for Juventus – including the Champions League in 1996, and the 1997/98 Serie A title as captain.

He stepped into the Bianconeri dugout in 2011 and guided his old side to three Scudetti in as many seasons, before leaving to take the Italian national team job in 2014.

In a scenario practically unheard of in today’s game, Graeme Souness spent five years as player-manager of Rangers.

After winning two Scottish titles and two League Cups during the latter half of the 80s, Souness left Ibrox to take the reins at former club Liverpool – where, among other honours, he had won multiple First Division titles and European Cups – and steered them to 1991/92 FA Cup glory.

Before he was forced to retire due to injury aged 31, Roberto Di Matteo played a key part in one of Chelsea’s most glorious periods, starring as the Blues picked up two FA Cups, the League Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup between 1997 and 2000.

Having served as assistant to Andre Villas-Boas at Stamford Bridge, the Italian was appointed caretaker manager in March 2012 – and two months later, he delivered Chelsea’s first Champions League success.

A World Cup winner with France as captain in 1998 and boss in 2018, Didier Deschamps previously enjoyed success in club management.

Skipper of the Marseille side who won the 1992/93 Champions League, Deschamps later coached them to the 2009/10 Ligue 1 title – the club’s first since they were crowned French champions with him in the team 18 years earlier.

Belonging to a select group to be crowned champions of England as both a player and manager, Howard Kendall is one of the most revered figures in Everton’s history.

A veteran of more than 250 appearances for the Blues, Kendall starred in the 1969/70 First Division title triumph – then replicated the feat twice as boss in the 80s, when he also brought the FA Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup to Goodison Park.

Franz Beckenbauer claimed major silverware with every team he managed – the last of those being Bayern Munich, where the inimitable German sweeper had lifted three European Cups in succession during the 70s.

Four years after coaching West Germany to glory at the 1990 World Cup, Der Kaiser led Bayern to the Bundesliga title; two years after that, in his second spell in charge, he secured the UEFA Cup.

As a player, Diego Simeone captained Atletico Madrid to the 1995/96 Spanish double – the first in the club’s history.

Already a legend among the fans, the famously fiery Argentine went on to become one of Atleti’s greatest-ever managers – guiding them to Europa League victory in 2011/12, his first campaign at the helm, and the LaLiga title two seasons later, along with a run to the final of the Champions League.

Among the most decorated managers in Arsenal’s history, George Graham added six pieces of major silverware to the Highbury trophy cabinet between 1987 and 1994, winning the First Division title twice in the space of three years.

The iconic Scot built on his achievements as a Gunners player, the most notable of which was doing the 1970/71 double under Bertie Mee.

Bob Paisley followed in Bill Shankly’s footsteps spectacularly well, leading Liverpool to 13 major trophies – including the Reds’ first three European Cups – in just under a decade as boss at Anfield.

During his playing days, left-half Paisley had helped Liverpool to the 1946/47 First Division title, as English football returned to normal after the Second World War.

One of Real Madrid’s foremost Galacticos, breaking the world transfer record when he joined from Juventus in 2001, Zinedine Zidane won the 2002 Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen with that jaw-dropping volley – before starring in Los Blancos’ LaLiga title triumph the following season.

Returning as gaffer in 2016, Zizou guided Real to three consecutive Champions League crowns – something which hadn’t been done for over 40 years.

The ultimate Champions League manager, winning Europe’s top competition multiple times with multiple clubs – firstly Milan – Carlo Ancelotti was no less successful during his playing days.

A classy midfielder (what else?), Don Carlo starred as Milan won back-to-back European Cups under Arrigo Sacchi in 1989 and 1990 – as well as helping the Rossoneri to two Serie A titles.

Bill Nicholson was born in Yorkshire but devoted more than 50 years of his life to Tottenham as a player, manager, consultant and more.

An integral member of the Spurs team who won the 1950/51 First Division title – having only been promoted as Second Division champions the previous season – Nicholson was appointed boss in 1958 and brought unprecedented success to White Hart Lane – overseeing, among other glories, the double triumph of 1960/61 and Cup Winners’ Cup victory the following campaign.

Having triumphed regularly on the domestic and continental stages as a world-class holding midfielder for Barcelona, Pep Guardiola began his managerial journey at the Camp Nou in 2008.

In no time at all, he proved his tactical genius by fostering one of the finest teams the game has ever seen, doing the treble in his first season in charge and winning the Champions League twice during his incredible four-year tenure.

As if going down in history as one of the best and most influential footballers of all time wasn’t enough, Johan Cruyff tasted sustained glory after swapping the pitch for the technical area.

Having won it all as an Ajax player – including a treble and three European Cups on the spin – and been a Spanish champion and Copa del Rey winner with Barcelona, the great man managed both clubs to notable successes.

First, he led Ajax to back-to-back Dutch Cups and the Cup Winners’ Cup; then, he built Barca’s Dream Team, delivering an incredible four straight LaLiga titles and the Catalan giants’ maiden European Cup victory.