Kolkata: Former Thailand assistant coach and expert commentator Steve Darby will be at the helm of Mohun Bagan in the upcoming season, the club announced on Tuesday.
Known as a pundit on ESPNStar Sports channel, 56-year-old Darby will officially take over the role at the club tent on July 25 when the squad for the upcoming season will also be announced.
“A professional football coach with a distinguished career has been appointed as the chief coach of Mohun Bagan football team for the 2011-2012 season,” the club said in a release.
The Liverpool-born Darby obtained his UEFA A Licence in 1979 and became an official FIFA Instructor for the Oceania region in 1981 before coaching more than seven teams.
In 1998, he became an AFC instructor and was national development manager for the Australian Soccer Federation between 1990-1995.
Darby then moved on to coach Sydney Olympic, but left in 1998 to coach Johor FA where he enjoyed a successful spell, winning Malaysia FA Cup. He left the club in 2001 to take charge of the Vietnamese women’s football team which he led to a gold medal in the SEA Games.
After that, he was appointed youth team coach for Sheffield Wednesday under Terry Yorath, but remained there only for a season before taking over the reins at Singapore’s Home United FC. In his four year tenure as Home United boss, Darby led them to a league and cup double in 2003, a semi-final spot in the AFC Cup in 2004 and also winning the Singapore FA Cup in 2005.
At the end of his Home United FC contract, Darby was also linked to the vacant India manager’s post.
However, he did not take up that job, choosing instead to join Perak FA .
He led Perak FA to second spot in the 2006-07 league and to the Malaysia Cup final and an AFC quarterfinal, a first for a Malaysian Club in Asian competitions at that time.(PTI)