I’M THE DWIGHT MAN FOR VILLA
Yorke convinced he can take his old club back up
DWIGHT YORKE has made a passionate plea to get the Aston Villa job – and this time he is hoping to at least get a reply.
Yorke was blanked last time he applied as he fears black managers are simply not getting the same opportunities as the likes of fledgling bosses Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and even Gareth Southgate.
Villa legend Yorke put in his CV to the club on Thursday and believes he has the experience, coaching qualifications – and even backing from Sir Alex Ferguson (right) to get them back into the Premier League.
Yorke said: “I know I can go in there, play good football and get them promoted. When I see Villa struggling, I want to help.
“People associate me with Man United but Villa is where it all started for me.
“I’ve got a burning ambition, so much belief and commitment. I’ve got a connection with the fans and surely having that rapport will give you a massive advantage.
“There’s been too many changes, too many wrong appointments for me to turn my back on it. I’ve seen the club suffer the disappointments, the heartache and the pain.
“We have to make sure Villa gets back where it belongs. It’s a great club.
“The whole place, the fans, everyone, needs something different, a fresh start and I feel I can give that excitement to the club. I’ve got a recommendation from Sir Alex.
“I’ve got his backing and he says that if I need his support he’s on the end of the phone.
“He wouldn’t say that unless he believed I could do the job.
“I’m sitting in Dubai, if you could see the view from my apartment you’d think I was nuts, but I’d love to get into management.
“I wouldn’t go anywhere near it unless I thought I could do the
‘I know I can go in there, play good football and get them promoted. I want to help Villa’
job. I sent my CV in, but I’m not sure if it’ll be read or looked at.”
Yorke applied for the job at Villa before ex-Manchester United team-mate Steve Bruce got it last time but did not even get a reply let alone an interview.
Former Villa striker Yorke won the Treble with Manchester United, was part of Fergie’s greatest success story but has been overlooked in management apart from one brief stint as assistant manager of Trinidad and Tobago.
Yorke is convinced English football is still not giving black coaches a fair chance when it comes to management considering Gerrard got the Rangers post, Lampard’s first job is at Derby and ex-Villa teammate Southgate began at Middlesbrough before getting
his coaching badges. Yorke said: “I applied for the job before Brucie, didn’t even get a response let alone an interview.
“Having played there for 10 years I felt I knew how I could do the job. I made it public I was interested but as soon as he got it I backed off as I’ve got respect for him as a man and a manager.
“But I had been upset by Remi Garde, Tim Sherwood, Alex McLeish as none of them seemed suited to the job.
“These guys have been given the opportunity with very little knowledge or experience of the situation.
“But I keep coming up short, people think I’m still young but I’ve been round the block and I’m bloody 47!
“Other people get chances. I speak to others in the game and it’s clearly not right. It’s evident there’s a barrier and people don’t speak out enough.
“The more I talk to people, I came across Sol Campbell in the last week or so, and he was interviewed for Oxford and Grimsby, with his profile you think they’d snap him up but at least he got an interview.
“Because of the kind of relationship I had with the fans, I know what it takes. Lampard and Gerrard got jobs. What have they done more than me?
“I’ve got the qualifications. I’ve spoken to Gareth Southgate, I played with him at Villa, and he went into management without qualifications, anything. The same with Roy Keane.
“I have nothing against Gareth at all, but at least they took a chance with him.
“Andy Cole refused to do his badges because he says to me: ‘Dwight, you ain’t getting nowhere.’
“Ask me why I wouldn’t get an interview for Villa?
“I’m looking at Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Joey Barton and Lee Bowyer. Then when it comes to me I keep being told: ‘Dwight, you need more experience’.”