Starting his career as a groundsman at the at of 18 at Blackburn Rovers, he soon ended up in the playing squad and ended up player over 150 times for the Lancashire side.

Moving to Newcastle in 1936 for the princely sum of £2000, he would spend three seasons on Tyneside before his playing career was cut short by WWII.

His return to football after the War was where he is perhaps best known however. Managing a total of 11 sides, including the Netherlands national team, on a total of 14 different occasions he was something of a legend of a manager, particularly in Italy.

He managed Lazio, Roma, Torino, Inter and Juve as well as West Brom and Coventry to name but a few.

He was even offered the England job at one point, turning it down as he'd already given his word to go to Coventry.