Ralf Rangnick always knew that Thomas Tuchel had the necessary qualities to become a manager and has praised his German compatriot as one of the best ever from their country. Having played under Rangnick with SSV Ulm in the late 1990s before injury cut short his playing career, Chelsea manager Tuchel was also handed a first chance on the coaching ladder by the United interim.
They are set to pit their wits against each other in the dugout for the very first time when United take on Chelsea tonight at Old Trafford (7.45pm). But what was it about Tuchel that stood out on the training ground before he was forced to hang up his boots aged 24?
During a Q&A session with MUFC media, Rangnick said: "He was one of my players at SSV Ulm, unfortunately only for six months as he had serious problems with his knee that forced him to terminate and finish his career at a very, very early stage. But even in those six months, you could see he always asked questions.
