Robbie Fowler takes charge of obscure Thai outfit

The career of Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has taken yet another obscure turn after he was confirmed as manager of Thailand side Muangthong United.

The striker, still referred to as ‘God’ by adoring Liverpool fans and renowned for his rather expansive property portfolio, joined the Thailand Premier League side as a player in July after a lucrative spell in the Australian A-League with North Queensland Fury and Perth Glory.

Less than three months after joining the club, Robbie has been thrust into a managerial role at the club, with the Muangthong board taking decisive action and getting rid of previous coach Henrique Calisto following the AFC Cup defeat to Kuwait earlier this week.

A statement on the club website confirmed Fowler’s promotion to player/manager which read: ''The Board have appointed Robbie Fowler as the acting Head Coach and terminate the contract of Portuguese boss Henrique Calisto. The contract is until the end of the season and the team must adapt to long-term goals if it is to succeed in Asia.''

Fowler’s new role is the latest twist in what have been a quite bizarre last few years for the Scouse scamp.

Gigs in Thailand and Australia are rare enough for former Premier League footballers, while in May, Fowler and good mate Steve McManaman came in for criticism for taking part in a match against an XI chosen by Chechnyan dictator Ramzan Kadyrov in Grozny.

Kadyrov is well known for abuses of human rights, for past incidents of torture and rape and the two ex-Liverpool players were rebuked for accepting payments to play in the match.