Former Hearts defender and Hibs coach lands first managerial gig on other side of the world

Jamie McAllister worked as Hibs' assistant manager between 2022 and 2023 (Pic: SNS) | SNS Group

Former Hibs assistant manager Jamie McAllister will take up his first head coach role on the other side of the world with Brunei based club Duli Penigran Muda Mahkota.

As first reported by the Daily Record, the former Hearts and Aberdeen defender will take charge of the Asian side having departed his role as assistant manager at Bristol Rovers at the end of last season. The once capped Scotland international began his coaching career with Kerala Blasters as a player/coach a decade ago and has since had a long association with former Easter Road gaffer Lee Johnson.

McAllister worked as Johnson’s assistant at Bristol City, Sunderland and Hibs. During his playing career he spent two seasons at Tynecastle and also turned out for Queen of the South, Livingston and Aberdeen in Scotland as well as Preston North End, Bristol City an Exeter City among others in England.

GET THE LATEST HEARTS OR HIBS NEWS DIRECTLY TO YOUR EMAIL INBOX DAILY WITH OUR FREE NEWSLETTER SERVICE

Based in Brunei and owned by the Crown Prince of Brunei, Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, Duli Penigran Muda Mahkota play their football in the Singapore Premier League where they finished seventh out of nine teams last season. The squad is made up mainly of Bruneian stars but does include some international talent including North Macedonian international keeper Kristijan Naumovski, Portuguese striker Miguel Oliveira and Brazilian attacker Gabriel Gama.

McAllister is not the first Scot to take chare of the club as he follows in the footsteps of former Blackburn Rovers boss Steve Keane who had a relatively lengthy stint as gaffer between 2013 and 2017. The name of the club may also be somewhat familiar to Hibs supporters as former Motherwell and Rangers defender Brian McLean played there before moving to Easter Road for his brief stint in 2017 and would later return there after a quick spell in Iceland with top flight club IBV.