Vincent Kompany begins his reign as Burnley boss in the unfamiliar surroundings of the Championship on Friday evening.
The Clarets, relegated from the top flight last season, open up the new second tier campaign away at Huddersfield Town. Former Manchester City captain Kompany was a serial winner at the highest level, lifting four Premier League titles in more than a decade at the Etihad.
But now he begins a new era at a level he has never played or managed at before. But he isn't the first to delve into the unknown. Here, Mirror Football looks at seven other high-profile managers or players who have taken the plunge into the Championship.
Rafa Benitez
The Spaniard is more accustomed to the Champions League than the Championship but after being unable to steer Newcastle to Premier League safety in the 2015-16 season, he agreed to stay on at St James' Park.
And it proved a wise decision as the Magpies went on to successfully earn a return at the first time of asking, sealing the second tier title thanks to a 94-point haul. He then led Newcastle to a tenth-placed finish upon their top flight return before eventually departing in the summer of 2019. A stint in China and then a brief unsuccessful spell as Everton boss followed.
Marcelo Bielsa
The Argentine's appointment by Leeds United in the summer of 2018 was an intriguing one. It propelled one of the most fascinating coaches into the unpredictable world of the Championship. But his methods worked wonders on Leeds' players and he transformed them from a mid-table side to one that was competing for promotion.
They fell short in his first year, losing in a dramatic play-off semi-final to Derby. But 'El Loco' committed to another year and got the job done second time around as Leeds won the title in style. That transferred into the Premier League as they posted a top-half finish. The wheels fell off in the second season in the top flight and Bielsa was axed in February this year, with Leeds only narrowly avoiding relegation on the final day under his successor Jesse Marsch.
Sami Hyypia
Hyypia enjoyed an outstanding playing career, spending a decade at Liverpool. But it was very much a left-field appointment by Brighton, then in the second tier, back in 2014. They had seen Hyypia been given the reins at Bayer Leverkusen and where despite leading them to fourth place he was sacked after just one season in charge.
Brighton took the plunge but despite his pedigree the move never worked out. He resigned from the job after barely six months at the helm with Albion in the relegation places near the midway point of the season.
The Finn has since managed FC Zurich and been assistant at FC Haka in his homeland.
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Frank Lampard
Lampard has experienced just a solitary campaign in the Championship, as boss of Derby during the 2018-19 season.
He enjoyed success in leading the side into the play-offs including a classic semi-final win over Leeds United. But they fell short in the final losing to Aston Villa at Wembley.
That would prove a sliding doors moment for the Rams, with Lampard being poached by former club Chelsea that summer. A number of key players and loanees also left and within three seasons the club would be heading for League One. Lampard, after a brief stint in the Stamford Bridge hotseat, is now Everton manager.
Wayne Rooney
The former England and Manchester United striker arrived at Derby as player-coach in early 2020.
But within less than a year he had been made interim boss, before eventually landing the role permanently. And it is safe to say he went through more off-field dramas than most bosses experience in a decade. During his time in the post, Rooney experienced administration, numerous failed takeovers and ultimately relegation.
He left after a drama-filled 18 months earlier this summer and shortly after he was announced as boss of MLS side DC United - the team Derby signed him from.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
The former Man United boss was boss of Cardiff for a brief eight-month period in 2014. He was unable to prevent their relegation and was allowed to stay on in the second tier.
But he would last just seven games before he stepped down, with just eight points accrued. Owner Vincent Tan said of the decision: "Regrettably our recent results do not justify Ole's continued role as manager at Cardiff."
Solskjaer would return back to Norway and boss Molde for three years before he was given the reins at Old Trafford initially on a caretaker basis before being given a permanent deal. He left United by mutual consent in November last year.
Gianfranco Zola
One of the greatest imports in Premier League history, Zola has managed three English clubs with varying degrees of success.
He spent more than 18 months at West Ham guiding them to a top-half finish before 17th spot the season after saw him axed.
He then joined Watford and experienced the Championship for the first time in the 2012-13 campaign. He guided the Hornets to a fine third-placed finish but they lost out to Crystal Palace in the play-off final. He was sacked midway through the following campaign. He returned to England three years later as Birmingham boss in December 2016.
But it proved a disaster, he lasted just four months and won two of 26 games. He has since been assistant at Chelsea under Maurizio Sarri.
