DPMM hire former EPL coach Kean

It has taken 18 years but the S-League is finally set for the arrival of its first former English Premier League coach.

Yesterday, Brunei DPMM confirmed that former Blackburn Rovers boss Steve Kean will succeed Croat Vjeran Simunic at the end of the current season.

Club manager Waslimin Momin said the move was made "to change our playing style".

Under reigning Coach of the Year Simunic, DPMM are known for a direct approach which involves playing long balls upfield for their attackers to chase.

That landed them the League Cup in 2009 and 2012 as well as a runners-up berth in the league last term. However, they have struggled this year and will finish in the bottom half of the 12-team standings.

Tasked with improving their fortunes, Kean is likely to favour the same short-passing game he attempted to introduce at Rovers.

He will, however, be hoping to fare better with his new team than during a deeply unpopular 21-month spell at Ewood Park which included relegation to the second-tier Championship in May last year.

The 46-year-old Scot was forced to resign four months later and has been out of a job since.

His arrival in Bandar Seri Begawan could be followed by another EPL alumnus - former Everton and Arsenal striker Francis Jeffers. According to DPMM's official website, the 32-year-old - a goal-scorer on the occasion of his sole appearance for the England national team in 2003 - is due to arrive for a trial next month.

Waslimin, however, stressed that the club have "not yet" begun negotiations with Jeffers.

DPMM's bid to inject star quality to their side has drawn praise from S-League chief Lim Chin.

"We are very happy that DPMM have found a good coach for the coming season," he said at the signing of a deal which will take the Brunei side's participation in the league through 2015.

They made their bow in 2009 but saw their campaign cut short by Fifa sanctions imposed for the government's intervention in the country's football association.

An impressive showing upon their return last season, however, convinced Lim that they are a valuable asset to the league.

"They are not here just for the ride; they are here to win championships," he said. "Each year, they put together a strong team. Their participation has boosted the league's competitiveness."

The same, he added, could be said of the league's two other foreign sides - Malaysia's Harimau Muda and Japan's Albirex Niigata.

Despite fielding an Under-21 side, the Malaysians have claimed the scalps of champions Tampines Rovers and other top-six sides like Tanjong Pagar United and Woodlands Wellington. Albirex are challenging to finish second.

"All these teams have helped raise the standard of football in Singapore," Lim stressed.

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