Former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke has been named the new head coach of the Trinidad and Tobago national team.
The 52-year-old takes charge of the side he scored 18 goals in 72 appearances for during his playing career.
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president Kieron Edwards said that Yorke’s “experience, leadership, and commitment” is what the national team needs as they aim to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Upon taking charge of the side, Yorke said: “I am proud and privileged to receive the honour of leading the Trinidad and Tobago national team. The opportunity to work with this talented, close-knit group of players is something I look forward to.
Official Announcement
See Press Release here https://t.co/qPgqY1Y37U pic.twitter.com/qfwXuh7Fic
— TTFA (@TTFootballAssoc) November 1, 2024
“Having helped Trinidad and Tobago to the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2000, captained the side at the 2006 World Cup and been assistant manager, my love and commitment to my national team is well documented.
“I saw firsthand as a player how working together to achieve our targets brought joy and united our country. I see that same ambition and desire at all levels of the current set-up.
“As a player, I experienced some incredible moments in a Trinidad and Tobago shirt. I hope they can continue as head coach.”
GO DEEPER
Dwight Yorke: ‘I’ll say it again, black players do not get the same managerial opportunities’
Yorke’s 123 goals in 375 Premier League games leaves him as the joint 19th top scorer in the competition, currently level with Son Heung-Min and Raheem Sterling.
In addition to the four years he spent with United, he also played for Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City and Sunderland as well as a spell in the A-League with Sydney FC before he retires in 2009.
Yorke returned to United in 2019 to earn his coaching badges. His only senior managerial experience is a nine-month stint in charge of Australian side Macarthur, who he left in January 2023.
When asked about the style of football his team would play, Yorke told The Athletic in 2021: “I smile when I hear managers being asked this question when they start at a football club. They say how they want to play football on the front foot with an attacking style. Well, you can only do that if you have good defenders, you need that base. One reason Manchester United were so good was that we had defenders who could defend one-v-one.
“You never hear a manager say that he wants to go out and be defensive because fans don’t want to hear that, so I’m not going to be joining any bandwagon. I’ll look at the players and make the best decision so that a team can win a game, how we can unlock opponents, break them down. I’d like a team to be comfortable in two or possibly three formations and to change these — even within a game if needed.”
Yorke takes over from 44-year-old Derek King, who had been head coach since 2022.
(Steve Christo – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
