Therdsak Chaiman (Thai: เทิดศักดิ์ ใจมั่น; born 29 September 1973) is a Thai football manager and former attacking midfielder.[1] Regarded[by whom?] as one of Southeast Asia's greatest-ever footballers, he is affectionately known among Thai fans as Uncle Therd (Thai: น้าเทิด).[2]
He is the current technical director of Cambodian club Nagaworld.
Club career
Therdsak with Chonburi in 2010
In 2002, he was loaned out to SAFFC in 2002 and proceeded to win the S.League player of the year. In 2003, Therdsak led BEC Tero Sasana to the final of the AFC Champions League against Al Ain FC in 2003. He scored against Taejon Citizen and Shanghai Shenhua in the process and was named the 2003 AFC Champions League most valuable player. In 2004, Therdsak secured a move to Vietnam's East Asia Bank but did not settle well due to a stomach muscle injury which kept him out for seven months. He promptly rejoined his former club SAFFC in 2005 despite interest from Home United Football Club. Despite his diminutive frame, Therdsak has proved to be more than capable to play with the bigwigs of international football, and at his peak, impressing many with his surging runs, vision and shot technique not often seen among footballers of his region.[citation needed] Therdsak officially announced his retirement from professional football on 19 November 2017 after end of Thai League 1 season 2017 with quit of the manager job at Chonburi.[3]
Managerial career
On 21 December 2015, Chonburi appointed Therdsak as head coach, replacing Jadet Meelarp.[4] He made the official managerial debut on 2 February 2016 in an AFC Champions League qualification match against Yangon United, where Chonburi won 3–2 at home after extra time. They then lost 0–9 to FC Tokyo from Japan and failed to reach the AFC Champions League's final stages.[5]
