Newcastle United head coach Matthias Jaissle faced a frightening health scare as a five-year-old, once losing the ability to move his neck after being diagnosed with a tumour, according to the BBC.
The German, now in charge on Tyneside, overcame the illness to pursue a playing career before transitioning into coaching, a journey the BBC reports gave him early perspective on life beyond football.
Details of the full story remain limited, but the report frames Jaissle's rise to Premier League management as shaped significantly by that childhood ordeal.