Franck Haise’s career might well have taken a different turn. For whilst he is now the manager of Stade Rennais FC, it was much further north, on the other side of the Channel, that the French manager could well have ended up a few months ago.

In an interview with So Foot, Haise revealed that he had been approached for a time by Brighton, Everton and Nottingham Forest to take the reins. These were tempting opportunities, but the former RC Lens manager turned them down for a somewhat… unusual reason.

“It was me who turned down taking the discussions any further each time because I didn’t feel ready. Rightly or wrongly, I still think my English isn’t good enough – for communication, for talking to the players and the staff,” explained the 55-year-old manager.

Aware of his shortcomings, Haise has since been trying to overcome them. “I’ve almost reached 1,000 days on Duolingo,” he laughs. “Well, it’s Duolingo, but I’m making the effort to work at it. Perhaps I’ve put that barrier up for myself.”

Whilst he remains under contract with SRFC until 2028, it does not seem out of the question that he might one day head to England, where his compatriot Pierre Sage, amongst others, is currently in charge.