After consultation between Fulham Football Club and Irish FA President, Jim Boyce, it was agreed that Lawrie Sanchez could join Fulham as Caretaker Manager for the remaining five games of the 2006/07 season.
During his three years at the Northern Ireland helm, Sanchez has transformed the fortunes of the national side.
He has guided Northern Ireland to the top of their European Championship qualifying group, helped by superb home wins over Spain and Sweden. He also steered the side to a shock victory over England in the last World Cup qualifying campaign.
As a player, Sanchez is widely remembered for scoring the winning goal in the 1988 FA Cup Final, a match which saw underdogs Wimbledon upset the odds and record a 1-0 victory over Liverpool.
An identical result at the end of the 2006/07 season at home to Liverpool effectively guaranteed Fulham’s top flight status for another campaign. Sanchez was appointed to the post of Manager on a permanent basis only days later.