Given the nature of his playing career, Paulo Di Canio's time as a manager was never going to be an uneventful one.

Following his retirement from playing in 2008, the West Ham icon took some time before returning to English football in a managerial capacity, doing so with Swindon Town in the summer of 2011.

But having guided the Robins to the League Two title and promotion back to League One at the first attempt - and the final of the Football League Trophy - during his debut season at the club, Di Canio then left Swindon midway through the following campaign amid financial issues and takeover uncertainty at the club in early 2013.

Just a few months later, Di Canio returned to management with Sunderland, and despite some controversy over his appointment, the Italian managed to pull off an unlikely escape from relegation to keep the Black Cats in the Premier League.

But after something of a squad overhaul that subsequent summer Di Canio was sacked just five league games into the new campaign, having taken just one point in that time, and amid a dispute over a bust up between Di Canio and his players.

Since that departure from the Stadium of Light, Di Canio has yet to make his return to management, it seems it may not be for the want of trying.

It was reported back in May 2014 that Di Canio had put his name in the ring for the managerial job at Celtic, where he previously scored 15 goals in 37 appearances during the 1996-97 season, although no return to Parkhead would ultimately materialise for the once mercurial striker.

Later that year, Di Canio was also said to have applied for the manager's job at Bolton, only for that role to eventually go to Neil Lennon.

Di Canio was then reported to have applied for the managerial job at Rotherham United twice in the next couple of years, first in September 2015, and then again in February 2016, although he was unable to secure himself a place in the dugout at the New York Stadium on either occasion.

As a result, it seems that while it has been some time now since we last saw Di Canio on the touchline, it is not impossible for that to happen again in the future, and if it does, then it is hard not to imagine that there would be plenty to watch out for.