Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel admits a chance meeting set him on his way to a career in coaching.

Injury forced Tuchel to hang up the boots earlier than expected while a defender in the German Second Division.

Tuchel then began and completed a business degree - "to calm my mum down more than satisfy my own needs and expectations of what I want from life" – and it was while he was studying that the renowned Ralf Rangnick, who had coached him in his early years, persuaded him to also try youth league coaching at Stuttgart.

Rangnick and Tuchel in opposition in the Bundesliga in 2011

"From there the story went very well for me because I found the passion again and instantly found the joy to be on the pitch out there," Tuchel recalled to chelseafc.com.

Although acknowledging it felt like a second chance at football, he explained he never thought about being a professional coach at that stage.

"That's because when I started coaching, I think 100 per cent of coaches in the first division in Germany had played in the first division. There was no example of someone who had made it through the academy and ended up in a professional coaching position.

"It was also important to me to finish studying, to make a point to myself that I can finish something that I don't really like, just for pure rational reasons.

"But when I experienced again the feeling to be on the pitch and to have the chance to be the head coach of the Under-14s and the Under-15s in the Stuttgart academy, that really made me happy.

"Even if there was not a lot of money involved, it was enough just to do this because it made me happy and I felt like I am in the right place, and I got a lot of support from many people on my way and without that it is not possible.

"With every licence I did I got more support and I was a bit more experienced, and I got this gift from life to be promoted and promoted and promoted, and that is why I am very grateful."