Mark Burcham is best remembered for his time playing for Queens Park Rangers, but now coaches Cesc Fabregas at Como.
The 44-year-old was best known for his crazy hairstyles at QPR, with spiky trims dyed blue and white to match the club colors.
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Bircham has moved away from his wild playing days and now manages Serie B side Como.
In the summer of 2022, he became the first-team coach of an ambitious second-division team.
Among the members of this Lombardy-based club is Cesc Fabregas.
The former Chelsea, Arsenal and Barcelona star continues to move in midfield after being persuaded to join Dennis Wise.
Wise helps run the club, with Gunners legend Thierry Henry as an investor and minority shareholder.
Bircham told talkSPORT about the Como:
“They have been promoted to Serie C, Serie B and are trying to reach Serie A within the next three years. It’s a really good project.
“This is a very good standard. The league has a lot of money. It’s the best Serie B ever.”
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“Genoa, Cagliari and Parma are also in the league, and there are many big teams and former Serie A teams.
“[Wise] You had to tell me, this is Lake Como, so there are only working holiday hotspots. ”
Of coaching the World Cup winner Fabregas, Barcham said:
“He still has a lot to offer the team on the pitch and on the commercial side, Cesc’s arrival has really helped.”
Despite the language barrier, Bircham is slowly learning Italian.
“Hopefully within six months I’ll be able to speak Italian, but they said it would be like Ray Winston speaking Italian.
His role in Italy is just the final chapter of a fascinating career for Barcham, who had represented the Canadian national team as his grandfather was born there.
The former Millwall defender scored an international goal against Northern Ireland despite admitting he had never even visited Canada.
Barcham chuckled: “I’m the first person to score a goal in my country without ever setting foot in it.
“My debut was in Northern Ireland and I sang the wrong national anthem. God Save the Queen came on and I blew it. [team-mates] everyone was looking at me
“I came on as a sub, scored my first goal and kissed my badge – great.
He played 17 times in Canada and also coached QPR and Chicago Fire after retirement.
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