Manchester City host Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League needing a win to give them a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages, but face a manager who has already got a win-of-sorts against City this season.
After a quiet start to his managerial career, a six-month spell at Haverfordwest County in the Cymru Premier during the end of the 2021/22 season provided a lifeline for Nicky Hayen, who hasn’t looked back since.
In the most recent edition of the Raymond Goethals Trophy, awarded to the best Belgian coach of the year, Brugge manager Hayen beat City legend Vincent Kompany to the title.
While Kompany is a household name, especially in the blue side of Manchester, the man that beat him is relatively unknown in the UK, despite managing in the British Isles three years ago.
One of the players who played under the Belgian at County was Ben Fawcett, a 21-year-old at the time who Hayen took to another level.
The Welshman had a very positive first interaction with the manager, and said:
“He had a different sort of aura about him.
“He came in and the whole changing room was silent, you just listened to him, and it was just his professional background.
“You could tell as soon as he spoke or soon as he did something, just how professional he was.”
Despite the Bluebirds being a part-time team, Fawcett said the amount of effort put in was staggering and one of the main reasons why he came across so professional.
His former player described how he came across around the place:
“He’s actually quite quiet. You could go and give him a phone call, or he phoned you. He phoned me at work a few times and asked me a few things.
“Credit to the bloke. He’s very approachable, really nice guy, and I got on really well with him, so I was sad to see him go.”
The effort and personality paid off and they stayed up comfortably at the end of his tenure, which was a far-cry from the relegation battle that awaited when Hayen arrived.
It wouldn’t be the last time that he would have an instant impact, having won the Belgian Pro League last season after only ten games during his interim spell at Brugge after replacing the sacked Ronny Deila.
His tactical style was described by Fawcett as favouring a five-at-the-back, something which City fans will not be happy to hear, as the Blauw-Zwart seem set to defend for their lives at the Etihad.
It was also said to be possession heavy, but with it being clear from the pre-match comments by Hayen that his side are looking to hold out for a draw, keeping the ball may not be a priority in this game.
The visitors to Manchester only need a point to secure only their second ever stint in the knockout stages of the Champions League, previously reaching the round of 16 in 2022/23.
It could be another scalp tonight, with wins against Sporting CP and Aston Villa already in this campaign.
Following the title win last season, they currently sit in second place and only three points behind top of the Belgian Pro League.
Northern Belgium is not the only place where the manager has created a legacy, with Haverfordwest recently finishing in the top six places in Wales for the first time since the league’s restructuring in 2010 under new manager Tony Pennock, who took over from Hayen.
Because the league splits into two at the halfway mark, it means that they can potentially win the league title, instead of needing to fight to avoid relegation.
It was only six months spent in Wales for the manager before joining the youth team of Club Brugge, but his impact can still be felt in Pembrokeshire.
Fawcett spoke about the lasting effect of his tenure, even after such a short time at the club:
“Tony (Pennock) came in, I think we were still playing the Nicky Hayen way.
“We were playing a lot of football, and that was probably just from what he drilled into us boys to keep the ball.
“So I think that probably helped Tony as well and helped the club.
“His approach on football is still definitely in the club.”
If Club Brugge are to get a result in Manchester, it will be celebrated in west Wales almost as much as West Flanders.