EXCLUSIVE: Sydney FC's 2006 grand final winning coach Pierre Littbarski believes his former assistant Ian Crook is ready for an A-League franchise of his own.
The former German World Cup winner, who's set to guide Iranian side Saipa in the Asian Champions League quarter finals this month, told au.fourfourtwo.com that Crook would be ideal for the North Queensland coaching job now the franchise has been green-lighted.
"Ian Crook has to be the most knowledgeable coach in Australia," said Littbarski.
"What he has achieved in Europe, Asia and most recently in Australia is testament to his broader knowledge of the game in the areas of coaching, development, recruitment and squad management."
Other coaches to be mentioned for the coaching hotseat in Townsville include Graham Arnold, Gary Van Egmond and Phil Stubbins.
"I'd love the job up there," Crook told au.fourfourtwo.com. "I am well aware of the enormous potential that the game has in North Queensland, and I would like to play a major part of the future success."
After the pair worked together on Sydney's inaugural A-League winning campaign, Littbarski and Sydney could not reach agreement on a new contract and the German left the club. He took Crook with him to Avispa Fukuoka in Japan's J2 league a few months later.
The pair worked at Avispa until July this year when the club sacked Littbarski, replacing him with Yoshiyuki Shinoda.
The 48-year-old German has since moved on to Saipa while Crook is now back in Australia.
Crook coached at NSL clubs Northern Spirit and Newcastle United and had a brief spell as an assistant with the Young Socceroos in 2004 as well as with American Samoa before joining FC for the start of the A-League.
As a player, he originally arrived in Australia in 1998 for newly formed NSL club Northern Spirit following a career in England that saw the midfielder with the impressive passing game play over 340 times for Norwich City as well as Spurs. Crook was capped for England B three times.
The Romford-born Crook has regularly been linked with a return to City in recent years, where he is still held in high esteem, but Australia holds many good memories for him.
He added: "As the game grows in Australia, there are always new challenges.
"I see the long term establishment of North Queensland as a football power base as one of those challenges."
"Ian Crook has to be the most knowledgeable coach in Australia," said Littbarski.
"What he has achieved in Europe, Asia and most recently in Australia is testament to his broader knowledge of the game in the areas of coaching, development, recruitment and squad management."
Other coaches to be mentioned for the coaching hotseat in Townsville include Graham Arnold, Gary Van Egmond and Phil Stubbins.
"I'd love the job up there," Crook told au.fourfourtwo.com. "I am well aware of the enormous potential that the game has in North Queensland, and I would like to play a major part of the future success."
After the pair worked together on Sydney's inaugural A-League winning campaign, Littbarski and Sydney could not reach agreement on a new contract and the German left the club. He took Crook with him to Avispa Fukuoka in Japan's J2 league a few months later.
The pair worked at Avispa until July this year when the club sacked Littbarski, replacing him with Yoshiyuki Shinoda.
The 48-year-old German has since moved on to Saipa while Crook is now back in Australia.
Crook coached at NSL clubs Northern Spirit and Newcastle United and had a brief spell as an assistant with the Young Socceroos in 2004 as well as with American Samoa before joining FC for the start of the A-League.
As a player, he originally arrived in Australia in 1998 for newly formed NSL club Northern Spirit following a career in England that saw the midfielder with the impressive passing game play over 340 times for Norwich City as well as Spurs. Crook was capped for England B three times.
The Romford-born Crook has regularly been linked with a return to City in recent years, where he is still held in high esteem, but Australia holds many good memories for him.
He added: "As the game grows in Australia, there are always new challenges.
"I see the long term establishment of North Queensland as a football power base as one of those challenges."
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