Matthias Jaissle’s playing career was cruelly cut short at 25 - forcing him to retreat to the dugout as a manager at an early age.

In March 2009, Matthias Jaissle’s world turned upside down. Then just 22 and making his mark on the professional game at Hoffenheim, the bright lights and perks that come with being a footballer must have been starting to sink in.

He had it all ripped away from him in the blink of an eye. As Jaissle lay on the Rhein-Neckar-Arena turf, the game against Hannover 96 felt irrelevant.

His fledgling career was now on the line - and soon to be over. Jaissle featured only a handful of times over the following three years before calling time age 25.

By his own admission, this was the lowest ebb of his life. The dream he held as a child had been cruelly taken away. But through “discipline” and “commitment” - Jaissle words - the German reinvented himself as one of the most exciting young managers in Europe.

He now finally gets to make a mark on the Premier League in managerial form. The might of Liverpool await on the opening day - but Jaissle has already conquered his most difficult battle.

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Matthias Jaissle opens up

“I'm so looking forward to the match, so I don't remember the bad moments in my life,” he told The Gazette. “But yeah, you always get something positive out of it. There was a tough moment when I needed to quit my career as a player in the early stage.

“But again, if you're going through this hole in your life, and probably you all have these phases in life as well, at one point then you come out stronger, and that was what I tried to do.

“With discipline, with a commitment, and of course if I would have dreamed that, yes. But I never planned something like this because I learned that, in my career as a player, that it's not worth it to plan too long ahead. Not everything you can influence again.

And now I'm here. Like I mentioned beforehand, it's a huge privilege and I'm grateful for that. I consider it a huge privilege to be coach of Newcastle United at this stage of my career.”

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‘A huge responsibility’ - Matthias Jaissle

Jaissle also acknowledged the responsibility of managing the Magpies. He has sampled St James’ Park in pre-season - and now ready to see the cathedral at its roaring best.

“But I also feel that's a huge responsibility and I'm aware of that,” Jaissle added. “So what I can do is every day give my best to try to improve, to try to support the lads in the way we're doing it right now.

“I'm really, really happy with the commitment the lads show on the training ground. And we're going totally in the right direction. So I'm happy and I'm really grateful.”

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