Derided in England, Asia Kean for former Blackburn boss

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A figure of fun during a painful spell with Blackburn Rovers, Steve Kean has rebounded to become a respected, man in demand having steered Brunei DPMM to the top of the S.League in Singapore.





Kean's two-year reign at the former English champions was marred by routine fan protests against him and regular pot shots by the media before he was sacked in 2012 following relegation from the Premier League.

The Scot then opted to make the surprise move to Southeast Asia and signed a one-year deal with Brunei this season and has overseen 10 wins in their first 12 league matches to sit seven points clear in the 12-team division.

Local media reported that the early success had attracted the attention of wealthier clubs in Thailand but Brunei DPMM said the former Real Sociedad, Coventry City and Fulham assistant coach was going nowhere.

"I have read the report about it but as for now I can tell you that Steve Kean is still the head coach for DPMM FC and he is still under contract with us," Brunei DPMM official Pg Waslimin PSJ Pg Hj Abdul Momin told Saturday's Brunei Times.

"We are doing well now in the league and I think this report is just trying to cause disorder. For now we are only going to focus on our football."

Brunei's success in jumping to the top after finishing in eighth last term has been aided by the goalscoring form of former Sunderland and Coventry City striker Roy O'Donovan.

The Irishman, signed by Kean along with compatriot Joe Gamble for this season, has also attracted interest from Thai clubs after netting 11 times this term, local media reported.





(Writing by Patrick Johnston; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)


Share

2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world