Thomas Tuchel had surprise job before becoming a football manager as German becomes new England boss

Thomas Tuchel had a surprise job before becoming a football manager.

On Wednesday it was announced that former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss Tuchel has been appointed as England manager from January 1, 2025.

The 51-year-old German, who has signed an 18-month contract, becomes only the third non-British permanent manager of the men’s team after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

Tuchel said: “I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team.

"I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already.

"To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting."

Despite having taken charge of the biggest club in world football, with Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain also on his CV, Tuchel wasn’t always operating among football’s A-list.

Indeed, having been forced to retire from his playing career at the age of 24, Tuchel enrolled himself onto a Business Administration course. At the time he also supplemented his income by working in a bar.

"I don't want to have drunk the cocktails that I mixed at the beginning," he laughed in a conversation with ZEITmagazin MANN.

"I slowly developed a new self-confidence in the bar, shift by shift, evening after evening.

"I had overcome the inhibition threshold of asking strangers if they needed me.

"And suddenly I made the experience: 'Your colleagues just like you for who you are, they have no idea that you were once a professional footballer'."

Tuchel has been appointed England manager on an 18-month contract (Getty)

After earning his business degree, Tuchel endured a failed attempt to return to playing football with the Stuttgart reserves. However, then-Stuttgart boss Ralf Rangnick picked up on Tuchel's football brain and instead pushed him to try out coaching with the club's youth setup.

Tuchel shadowed coaches at the German club's academy and eventually took over as U14 head coach in 2000. After five years Tuchel returned to former club Augsburg where he became reserve team manager.

He then moved to Mainz, and was ultimately promoted to first-team manager. That kicked off a career that took him to Dortmund, PSG, Chelsea, Bayern and now England.