West Brom Great Escape loan flop who went into management axed by Saudi club after just two weeks
Many past Albion players have gone out to carve careers in managerial.
Ones that will be remembered for their time at The Hawthorns, and ones that won't.
And one name that will take some remembering is a Romanian international right back signed at the start of the 2004/05 season.
In the summer of 2004, Gary Megson was building a squad to take on the Premier League and signed Romanian right back Cosmin Contra.
At the time, it was a decent addition given the fact he came from Atletico Madrid and had previously played for AC Milan.
But he did little to live up to his billing.
Contra played six times and was sent off in his final game which ended in a 5-0 home defeat to Liverpool. In truth, he could arguably go down as one of Albion's worst ever loan signings.
The unsuccessful Premier League loan move did not derail his career though.
He would go on to play in La Liga before ending his playing days back in his home country.
Then he went into management, in Romania and Spain before he spent two years in international management as his home country's manager.
In recent years, like many managers from across the globe he has been in Saudi Arabia - and in recent days has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
From title contender to axed after two weeks
Contra was manager of Al-Ittihad in 2023 - and ran Al Hilal close for the title.
Since then, he moved to Damac and two weeks ago he landed the job at Al-Kholood.
But his time in charge may well go down as one of the shortest ever managerial stints.
Just two weeks after landing the jobs, reports have claimed that he has been axed following the club being taken over, going from Saudi ownership to US hands.
And it has brought an end to the former West Brom full-back's time at the club.
As it happens, he is set to be replaced by a manager who Albion actually went up against last season.
Former Baggies boss Des Buckingham has been linked with the role - and reports in Saudi suggest he is set to land the job after being axed by Oxford United last season.
