I swapped Lee Johnson and Hibs to work for Princes, Sultans and Kings - inside former SPFL star's new life in Brunei

The Sultan of Brunei’s palace is a long way from East Kilbride.

That’s why, as he surveyed the fleet of 7000 cars in the garage that has a net worth of £5BILLION, Jamie McAllister savoured his surroundings. He took a lift to the first of the building’s 17 floors, where he was met by Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah. The heir apparent to the Sultan. And McAllister’s new boss.

It felt like an out-of-body experience for the Scot, raised in a working-class family on the outskirts of Glasgow. But that’s his life now in Brunei, as head coach of DPMM, who play in the Singapore Premier League. McAllister took the job three months ago and has loved every minute of it. He impressed the country’s footballing federation so much they even asked him to take interim charge of the national side.

By winning his two games the 46-year-old made history by leading them to the group stage of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time. But even to be temporary international manager, the Crown Prince had to give his permission first.

He’s the mega-rich owner of DPMM and gave McAllister his blessing. Now the ex-Hibs assistant is back on club business and eager to make his name as a boss in his own right.

Brunei is 7000 miles away in Southeast Asia. And for McAllister it’s a different world to the one he has been used to as a coach in the UK. The former Aberdeen, Hearts and Livingston left-back told Record Sport: “It has been a surreal experience for me. The Crown Prince, who is next in line to be Sultan, comes to our training every day. There’s a police escort each morning which gets him here. And he’s got a suite at the stadium where he watches our games.

“When I signed I met him on the second day. I went to the palace and it was incredible. To