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Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has been named as the new head coach of A-League strugglers Brisbane Roar in the first significant coaching role of his career.
Brisbane Roar are hoping the post-Easter arrival of God will be the start of the A-League club's resurrection.
Liverpool great Robbie Fowler was unveiled on Tuesday as the new head coach of the Roar, ending a four-month search to find the successor for ex-Socceroo John Aloisi.
The 44-year-old, who earned the nickname 'God' for his goalscoring exploits with the English Premier League giants in the 1990s, has joined the Roar on a two-year contract.
It's the first coaching role Fowler has held since he retired in 2012 after a brief stint as player-coach of Thai Premier League team Muangthong United.
The ex-England striker, who is the sixth-highest goalscorer in Liverpool's history with 183 strikes in 369 matches for the Reds, holds top coaching qualifications in Europe and said he'd applied for the Brisbane role as soon as it became available.
"I knew I wanted to come over here. I knew I wanted to show people how good I can become," Fowler said.
"Obviously I had a good career in terms of playing football, but now this is really the start of my managerial career and look, you know, there's not going to be any stone left unturned.
"I'm going to do everything right. There's going to be plenty of hours on the training pitch to bring the club and the team up to speed.
"Massively looking forward to it and can't wait to get going now."
Fowler was just one of over 150 candidates who applied for the role with reports suggesting that field included former England boss Sven Goran-Eriksson, outgoing Adelaide United coach Marco Kurz and ex-Welsh international Carl Robinson.
Fowler's appointment will be his third foray into the A-League after stints with North Queensland Fury and Perth Glory at the twilight of his playing career.
The new boss will be in the stands for the Roar's final match of an awful 2018-19 campaign against Adelaide at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday.
He comes into a club that is a far cry from the days of winning three A-League grand finals in 2011, 2012 and 2014.
Brisbane head into Thursday's match with just four wins from 26 games this season and sitting second-last on the competition ladder.
Club captain Matt McKay is retiring while veteran Brazilian Henrique announced on Monday he'd played his last game for the club.
There are also several players off-contract including French marquee Eric Bautheac, who has already been linked to Melbourne Victory.
Fowler will meet his players at the Roar's training base south of Brisbane on Wednesday but he feels he knows all he needs to about what must change at the club.
"I've done my due diligence," Fowler said.
"Watching them, I know what's needed, what I can do, what I can't do."
Current interim coach Darren Davies will stay in the role for Thursday's match before staying on at the club as one of Fowler's assistants alongside former Everton and Manchester City player Tony Grant.
