Who would be the best team in the PL...

[ex_pat_magpie]

if it was made up of former managers in their playing heyday?

I was thinking today a bit about Steve Bruce and, long story short, that if he'd been our player rather than our manager he'd likely be a club legend. Then I got to wondering what sort of team we could build out of our former managers, and how it'd fare against other clubs' equivalent side. We've had Bruce, Shearer, Gullit, Ardilles, etc. and could probably put out a pretty decent first 11. Goalkeepers are always likely to be a problem for most clubs, though Wolves and Spurs have Nuno to fill that slot! So, I'm wondering which club has had the best group of players ultimately become their manager?

There are a few, ahem, more distinguished gentleman on here who can probably remember a little further back and name managers who were great players, and can maybe suggest something like a first 11 for us perhaps.

Three superb ones to add to the Toon team from the mid-last century. Goalie, the incredible Ronnie Simpson, short for that position at 5'10" but very agile and was number one for Scotland for years, managed Hamilton academicals also the two stalwarts in defence, Joe Harvey, managed here and Bob Stokoe, managed the Muckem.

Also another goalie, Willie McFaul, also managed us, and Bobby Moncur who managed a few lower division clubs.

Apologies Bix as I edited and added McFaul then saw your post next, so you were in with Willie first.