Man United legend Dwight Yorke has lived a life full of colour both on and off the pitch, with the latest remarkable travails coming in the dugout.
Yorke, 54, hung up his boots in 2009 after a glittering career for United, Aston Villa, Blackburn and latterly Sunderland.
He then embarked on a coaching career that has taken him around the world and seen him hit the headlines, most recently last week.
The former striker left his job as head coach of Trinidad and Tobago after refusing to take a pay cut in the wake of the nation failing to qualify for the World Cup this summer.
Yorke was part in his country’s historic run to the finals in 2006 but was unable to recreate the same magic as boss, with the Soca Warriors finishing third in their World Cup qualifying group in November of last year.
A final 1-1 draw to Jamaica condemned Yorke’s side just months after they made the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup finals.
Dwight Yorke (right) left his role as Trinidad and Tobago head coach after refusing to take a pay cut following failure to qualify for the World Cup
The Trinidad and Tobago FA announced Yorke’s departure from the set-up earlier this month, revealing that he had said goodbye to his role at the end of February after failing to ‘reach an agreement’ on the proposed new terms in his contract.
‘Following the conclusion of the recent FIFA World Cup qualification campaign in which T&T failed to advance to the 2026 World Cup, the TTFA Executive Committee conducted a comprehensive review of the campaign and the overall direction of the Men’s Senior National Team programme, inclusive of its technical structure and financial framework,’ their statement read.
‘Subsequent discussions were held between the TTFA and Mr. Yorke regarding the future of the role, including revised contractual terms and remuneration aligned to the next phase of the programme.
‘After these discussions, both parties were unable to reach agreement on the proposed terms at this time, and it was mutually decided to part ways.’
The TTFA urged that ‘the door is not closed to future dialogue’ with their former national team captain, thanking Yorke for his ‘commitment’ since joining the set-up in November 2024.
Yorke, who is father of Katie Price’s son Harvey, previously admitted being unfaithful during the pair’s high-profile fling in the early 2000s and played no part in raising the child.
Known as a lothario during his playing career, he once said: ‘If you play a fantastic game, score a couple of goals and then go home and make love to a beautiful woman, what more can a man ask for?’
He once claimed he slept with four women in a day during his time at Aston Villa.
Yorke is seen with Katie Price at the Laureus World Sport Awards in Monaco in 2001
Yorke poses on the red carpet alongside the Chinese-Vietnamese model Gaile Lok in Hainan, China, in 2016
‘Yorkie was just a playboy,’ former Man United trainee Daniel Nardiello told the Undr the Cosh podcast. ‘I remember the first Christmas do I ever went to, apparently, he was just in Manchester a week or two before handing out tickets to all the girls in Selfridges.
‘So it’s all the United players and staff, and then just tens and tens of girls Yorkie’s invited. That was just his lifestyle. He used to come in and tell us stories about his conquests.’
The list of actresses and models with whom Yorke was romantically linked included one-time Hollyoaks actress Stacey Winfield, former Coronation Street star Tracy Shaw, and erstwhile Celebrity Love Island contestant Alicia Douvall.
Yorke has never been married and moved to the other side of the world for his first managerial job.
He had applied for the Sutton United role and then admitted he was disappointed that Aston Villa turned him down having applied three times in 2021 when Steven Gerrard was appointed instead.
In 2022, Australian A-League side Macarthur took the plunge and gave Yorke his first head coaching position. He had achieved his coaching badges at United, where Sir Alex Ferguson was a mentor for him.
Although he won the Australia Cup Final in his first season, his time at the club curdled, with Yorke leaving his position in January 2023 after an explosive dressing-room rant which saw him label the side ‘a pub team’.
A-League club Macarthur FC cut ties with Yorke after just 13 games in charge
He may have steered them to their first silverware but his stint in charge only lasted 13 games.
Yorke made his ‘pub team’ jibe and slammed the standard of professional football in Australia after his side’s defeat by Adelaide United in his final match.
The day after the defeat, Yorke held a meeting with club chairman Gino Marra where it was decided to mutually terminate his contract.
Macarthur’s statement conceded that Yorke would like ‘to pursue other opportunities’.
Yorke believed his dismissal was unfair and later took his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with the club ordered to pay the former player close to £157,374.
The bombshell outcome upholding a FIFA Players’ Status Chamber (PSC) decision that showed the club had breached the parties’ contract and sacked Yorke without just cause in January of 2023.
The club were also told to pay the majority of Yorke’s legal fees and given a transfer ban until the six-figure sum was paid.
It will be interesting to see where the former Man United striker ends up
‘I have maintained dignity throughout this and will continue to do so,’ Yorke said via his lawyer at the time, Greg Griffin.
‘FIFA and CAS have found in my favour. As of now, I’m awaiting my settlement.
‘I wish the players, the supporters and the club all the best.’
It had been thought he might take up another job in Australia but Yorke ended up having two years out of the game before taking over Trinidad and Tobago.
Now that chapter is over, Yorke is out of work once more and it will be fascinating to see where he ends up next.
