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Before They Were Bosses: EPL Managers Photographed In Their Playing Days

Being the bastion of all things important, Reddit recently spat out a very interesting post showcasing every Premier League Manager’s days as players. The results, as you might imagine, vary from the incredibly cool, to the incredibly young, to the incredibly awkward. Without a doubt, it is worth your time to check out the whole album (throw around some up-votes if you like), but here are some highlights. You know, for the lazy.

All pictures are courtesy of domalino of Reddit, and you can find the original album here.

Jose Mourinho - Chelsea

Bottom-Right: Mourinho

Mourinho never made it to the highest divisions of soccer, but if we had to go off of just this photo, we have just got to believe that he had an amazing time trying. This rag-tag team seems like it covers all the bases of personality. 

Starting with Jose, going clockwise around the circle, and being as shamelessly stereotypical as possible, you have Mourinho himself: a slight hint of a smile under a boyish mop of hair; the ladies man; the guy who always has weed at parties; the man’s man; the dashing gentleman; the quirky goalie; and the guy that is too anxious for his size. 

Someone call Hollywood! We’re making a movie!

Louis Van Gaal - Manchester United

Who did this to you Louis? Who hurt you? You didn’t deserve to go through life like this, with a nose that is one break away from Shrek. Is that what built you into the man you are today: that nose? Did you turn it into your greatest strength, always striving to prove wrong every person who saw your nose and dismissed you?

What’s that Louis? You just broke it multiple times in games and never bothered to get it fixed? Oh, well, right-o then carry on.

Manuel Pellegrini - Manchester City

The18 would like to make it clear that it had no idea that Manuel used to be a part-time cologne model during the day, and then moonlit as Achilles by night. Seriously, to look at those cheek bones and that jaw line, you could probably just throw a hunk of cheese at his face and pick up deli-thin slices off the ground when you are done. And you know what? Afterwords he would probably look better than ever.

Paul Lambert - Aston Villa

Go on, try and guess how old he was when this picture was taken, we dare you. Don’t blame us if you end up running into Chris Hansen in the process. That should just add to the challenge. To Catch a Predator and unidentifiable age aside, Paul looks like he was a respectable young chap, and, if The18 had to guess, 22.

Harry Redknapp - Queens Park Rangers

“Ye Olde ‘Arry” as we like to call this image is a true time capsule of a photograph. From the mutton chops of #4 in the back ground, to the glorified t-shirt of a kit, and most certainly Harry’s vintage Paul McCartney hair, this picture just exudes a 60s groove. We cannot tell you that Harry listened to the Beatles while driving a Beetle, but we cannot tell you that he didn’t, either. 

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call fair and balanced journalism. 

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