New Lee Bowyer role comes as a surprise after previous Leeds United talks held over Elland Road move
Lee Bowyer has gone from being in talks to take on the Leeds United job to managing a national side ranked 179th in the world in the space of four months.
Yes, you read that right.
The former Whites fan favourite is now in charge of Montserrat and oversaw their 3-2 win over Barbados in CONCACAF Nations League qualifying on Saturday [9 September].
It is quite the fall from grace for Bowyer on the face of it given he was managing Birmingham City in the Championship just 15 months ago.
Indeed, it may well have been that Bowyer was managing Leeds in the Premier League earlier this year if things had worked out differently.
Speaking to talkSPORT in June, the 46-year-old confirmed he was in the running to succeed Javi Gracia at the back end of last season, only for Sam Allardyce to get the nod instead.
“Without going into too much detail, there was a message or two exchanged,” he said on the White & Jordan show [6 June]. “They went with Big Sam because of experience.”
Bowyer went on to add that he would “jump at the chance” to manage Leeds if they came calling in the summer and vowed to “get them promoted again” if that proved the case.
As it transpired, though, Daniel Farke was appointed the following month and the German has done a steady enough job so far at Elland Road in difficult circumstances.
Whereas Farke is preparing for a trip to Millwall next weekend, Bowyer is heading to the Dominican Republic with his Montserrat side.
It makes you wonder exactly who got the better end of the bargain!
In other Leeds United news, one of Farke’s new arrivals rued his side’s lack of luck while away representing his country.