Kompany has chosen a tricky task at Burnley on return to England

Manchester City legend ran into trouble at Anderlecht and he will need to be more pragmatic in the Championship

Tall order: Vincent Kompany's first management job in England poses plenty of challenges. Pic: Steven Paston/PA Wire.

Being appointed Burnley manager was not part of Vincent Kompany’s plan. The Belgian returned to his first club, Anderlecht, in 2019 to start his coaching career after a decade of success at Manchester City and was supposed to transform the team and leave Brussels with a glut of trophies. There was a rebuilding job required but despite green shoots of hope the Kompany era was more evolutionary than revolutionary and his tenure ended three years into a four-year deal.

Finishes of eighth, fourth and third showed progress but not enough for the board, whose tenure was going to end one way or another this summer. There was no shortage of admirers for Kompany, who has the reputation as one of football’s most intelligent and eloquent men. But despite “more appealing offers” Kompany decided the next chapter would be trying to return Burnley to the Premier League at the first time of asking.