MANILA – United City announced on Friday that it has named British-Australian coach Trevor Morgan to lead the rejigged club.
Morgan is no stranger to the Asian football scene, having coached multiple clubs across the continent.
The former Bournemouth star found himself in Asia in 2002, coaching S-League outfit Hougang United, then known as Sengkang Marine and later Sengkang Punggol.
In his second tour of duty with Hougang, Morgan led the club to a runner-up finish in the 2007 Singtel League Cup.
But his most successful days came when he joined East Bengal in the I-League.
Under Morgan’s tutelage, East Bengal won eight silverware in two tenures and led the club to the AFC Cup quarterfinals unbeaten in 2013.
“His exposure to various leagues: From the English Football League, the English Premier League, the Indian Super League, Singapore S-League, Western Australian State League, and Malaysia Super Liga to name a few have prepared him very well for his new role as the head coach of United City Football Club, which suits very well the ambition that this club has,” United City co-founder Eric Gottschalk said. “We are excited and proud to have him on board, especially since the season is about to start.”
Gottscalk said, “Trevor will bring the necessary experience onto the pitch to immediately get the team as best as possible competition ready, which considering the long Covid (coronavirus disease) break is a key task in itself. We have high ambitions for the local league and the AFC Cup and we believe, Trevor is the right coach especially since he is no stranger to Asian football.”
Morgan would go on to become a national team coach, leading Bhutan in 2018 and 2019 before accepting the challenge to take over the spot vacated by Risto Vidakovic as the gaffer for the club formerly known as Ceres Negros.
“I cannot wait to get onto the training field with the players and look forward to working with a group of high-quality players and staff. I have been given a wonderful opportunity to help take an already very successful team to the next level, and I will give everything I have to help improve our team and to further establish Philippine football as a force to be reckoned within Asia,” Morgan said.