Jesse Marsch is a relative unknown to English football fans and his appointment at Leeds United is seen as a gamble by some pundits in the media.
The American - who has replaced Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds - has spent the majority of his career in the States, with recent stints at RB Salzburg and RB Leipzig his only taste of European competition.
Appointing the 48-year-old may be seen as a left-field choice given the Whites’ precarious league position. A heavy defeat to Spurs has heightened fears about relegation, with Leeds just two points above the drop zone.
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Some have called for a short-term manager who can ‘put out fires’ to help the club survive demotion to the Championship.
However, the Elland Road hierarchy have placed their trust in a man who will be experiencing top-flight football in England for the first time.
LeedsLive looks at five highlights from Marsch’s as he embarks on the challenge of keeping Leeds in the Premier League.
MLS Cup King
Marsch won three MLS league titles - or MLS Cup - with Chicago Fire in 1998.
A right midfielder, the American was on the books at DC United during their two triumphs in 1996 and 1997 but was only considered a bit-part youth player.
He became mainstay at Chicago under Bob Bradley and won three US Open Cups during his seven-year stint as a player.
An international debut beckoned in 2001 against Trinidad and Tobago, with his only other US national team appearance coming six years later against China.
World Cup heroics
Serving as understudy to his former manager Bradley, the young coach helped guide the USA to the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup.
The opening game of the tournament was famously against England when a Clint Dempsey shot from distance somehow found its way past Rob Green to snatch the Yanks a draw.
Marsch’s spell as assistant coach was his introduction into management and his chance to manage new MLS franchise Montreal Impact presented itself less than a year later.
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MLS Coach of the Year
Marsch quickly made a name for himself in his home country and was named Coach of the Year while in charge of the New York Red Bulls in 2015.
In his debut season at the club, he finished top of the league and won the Supporters’ Shield - the prize for the club that achieves the best regular season that year.
Unfortunately for Marsch, the MLS follows a similar structure to other US sports and finishing top of the league is not enough to be crowned champions.
Columbus Crew surprisingly knocked his side out of the MLS Cup before losing to Portland Timbers in the final.
Marsch would go on to win the most games by a coach in the competition’s history.
Salzburg success
Continued affiliation with Red Bull saw Marsch finally move to Europe to take over the reins at Austrian outfit RB Salzburg in 2019.
The success continued, with back-to-back league and cup doubles coming in 2020 and 2021.
Salzburg struggled in the Champions League but domestic dominance meant Marsch had put himself in the shop window if Europe’s top clubs came calling.
Haaland impact
Erling Haaland arrived at Salzburg just two months after Marsch was appointed head coach.
Under the American’s tutelage, the youngster developed into one of the deadliest strikers in world football and his stay in Austria was ultimately short-lived.
A fierce goalscoring record saw Borussia Dortmund pounce after five months - helping Salzburg turn over a tidy profit on the Norwegian.
Haaland has spoken about a desire to play for Leeds - his place of birth - in the past… could the two reunite at Elland Road?
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