Meet the Champions League boss who managed Welsh minnows and is now facing Aston Villa
Nicky Hayen was once the manager of Welsh minnows Haverfordwest County - and in the span of three years he's gone to stunning Europe with Club Brugge
Three short years ago, Nicky Hayen was managing his team in front of 273 fans.
His Haverfordwest County side had just thumped Cefn Druids 6-1 in the Welsh Premier League, and those who had turned their nose up at the unknown Belgian were starting to be won over.
Hayen has proved his doubters wrong and then some - he's now been labelled as one of the "hottest properties in Europe". On Tuesday evening, the Belgian will lead out Club Brugge in the Champions League against Aston Villa.
"There are 14,000 people who live in Haverfordwest. It's a beautiful part of the world but a bit of a culture shock," Haverfordwest's chairman Rob Edwards told the BBC.
"He wasn't really too concerned about what was around him. He was focused on the football. He embraced the culture and didn't try to change anything drastically. But he was just obsessed with football.
"He is a family man, doesn't drink, doesn't use social media. He just gets his head down. He deserves everything he gets."
Edwards knew he had a special manager, but had hoped to spend more time with him in Wales before Club Brugge came knocking.
Hayen couldn't say no, when in the summer of 2022, Club Brugge approached him to manage their U23 team - Club NXT. And he would soon be thrust into the limelight when Scott Parker was sacked in 2023.
Firstly as an assistant before landing the top job on an interim basis when Ronny Deila left last March.
Brugge have been a force in Europe this season - and Jan Mulder, the former Ajax and Anderlecht striker turned pundit, wasn't too shocked at his success.
Writing in Humo last May he said: "Next year [he] will play a series of matches in the Champions League, attracting the attention of Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern and Manchester.
"Nasser Al-Khelaifi of PSG also joins the fight for his signature at the last minute. Personally, I think that the great Nicky Hayen will replace Arne Slot from Zwolle as manager of Liverpool within two years."