Top 5 players from the 21st century who became excellent managers 

#4 Luis Enrique

Luis Enrique as coach of Spain

Luis Enrique was a product of the Sporting Gijon youth academy, before going on to achieve success in a five-year stint with Real Madrid.

In 1996, after stating that he did not feel appreciated by the Real Madrid supporters, Enrique took the rather daring path of signing for Barcelona on a free transfer.

Despite initial skepticism from fans of the Blaugrana owing to his Real Madrid ties, Enrique soon won them over and spent eight years with the club, rising to be named team captain and won several trophies including LaLiga, Copa del Rey, UEFA Cup Winners Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup.

He was also a regular with the Spanish national team, making 62 appearances and representing his country at three World Cups although his international career did not nearly match his club exploits.

Managerial spells with the Barcelona B team, as well as AS Roma and Celta Vigo brought limited acclaim, but his biggest achievements came with Barcelona where he led the club to a second treble in his first season with the senior team in addition to other triumphs in later years.

A stint as coach of the Spanish national team was tragically cut short when he took a sabbatical to look after his sick daughter Xana who unfortunately passed on to bone cancer in August 2019.