Could Andre Villas-Boas make a return to football management? He’s one of the favourites to take over at Celtic as the permanent successor to the departed Brendan Rodgers. But what has the devilishly handsome AVB been up to since we last saw him in the Premier League with Tottenham in 2013?
Well, after his short time in North London, where he was replaced by Tim Sherwood, Villas-Boas took six months away from the game to refocus. His next role took him to St Petersburg with Zenit where he enjoyed some success, winning the Russian Premier League, the Russian Cup and the Russian Super Cup before making the move to Asia.
The Portuguese boss succeeded none other than Sven-Goran Eriksson at Shanghai SIPG although his spell in China was short lived, spending just a year in the most populated country on earth. However, it is perhaps his hobbies away from football that has drawn the most interest.
AVB is a huge fan of motorsport and competed in the 2018 Dakar Rally, driving a Toyota Hilux. That venture, like his spell in China, came to a premature end as he crashed into a sand dune in Peru on the fourth stage, injuring his back as a result of the accident.
That did not put the adventurous AVB off however as just months later he raced again, in the Baja TT do Pinhal, another off-road rally. His may have to put the brakes on his rallying career for now as a return to football management seems to be close. He is in the mix for the Celtic job, although former Manchester United manager David Moyes is the frontrunner for that role at the time of writing.
But AVB could well land another big job in Europe. Let's not forget this is a man who inspired Porto to an undefeated season in the league, as well as winning the Europa League, the Portuguese Supercup and the Portuguese Cup in his very first season. His spell at Chelsea was less successful but he did leave Spurs with the fourth highest win percentage in their history.
Underneath this charming character, there is an incredibly talented manager ready to make his name on the big stage. Any club who takes a chance on the 41-year-old could reap huge rewards although at this stage of his career it is a risk. A return to Chelsea may not be on the cards (150/1) but AVB may fancy another crack at the Premier League, after making some serious money in Russia and China.
