Portsmouth FA Cup final boss and ex-Chelsea and West Ham manager back in football with Zambia - after four-year absence

The 67-year-old has been unveiled as Zambia’s head coach, signing a two-year deal.

Grant’s most recent involvement in football was with Indian Super League side NorthEast United in 2018, serving as a technical advisor.

He previously spent two-and-a-half years as coach of Ghana, leading them to the African Cup of Nations final in 2015, where they lost to Ivory Coast in a penalty shoot-out.

Pompey fans, of course, will remember him from taking them to the 2010 FA Cup final in a campaign which also marked their last in the Premier League.

While Grant also managed Maccabi Tel Aviv, Maccabi Haifa, Chelsea, West Ham and Partizan Belgrade.

In a press conference in Lusaka, he said: ‘I was looking for the right challenge and that’s why I chose Zambia.

‘I came here because of the challenge and I hope when I leave here I will look around and say we did a good job and made a good foundation for the future.

‘I think Zambia has the potential, we have set the targets of what we want to achieve.’

Grant arrived at Pompey in October 2009 as director of football, appointed by new owner Ali Al Faraj.

Within seven weeks he had taken over from Paul Hart as manager, with the Blues bottom of the Premier League with just two league wins.

His opening match was a 4-1 home defeat to Manchester United in November 2009 and, ultimately, Grant was unable to prevent relegation.

However, his reputation with supporters soared through FA Cup exploits, including a 4-1 win at Southampton and surprise 2-0 semi-final success over Harry Redknapp’s Spurs at Wembley.

Pompey were subsequently beaten 1-0 by Premier League champions Chelsea in the 2010 FA Cup final, with Didier Drogba grabbing the only goal of the game.

It proved to be Grant’s final match in charge – departing to become West Ham boss in June 2010.

During his six-month reign at Fratton Park, Grant won 10 of his 33 matches, of which half came in the FA Cup.