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'I estimate that the likelihood of us transforming our fortunes are less than Leicester claiming the Premier League, so they are in our benefit, right?' The Austrian veteran is talking about his recent venture as head coach of Newport County, and the monumental task of averting a descent into non-league football. It is a challenge at the polar opposite of the spectrum, though that unbelievable title win in 2016 provided him with a great deal more than a Premier League trophy. {'It contributed to shifting my mindset a little bit ... it proved that the unthinkable can be achievable,' he notes.

'How Did Fuchs Find Himself Here?'

The logical place to start is: what was the journey that led Fuchs wind up here? 'That's the element of the story that defies logic, wouldn't you say?' he says, letting out a laugh. This remark acts as the 39-year-old's introductory line and a clear indication of his charismatic character across a wide-ranging conversation. The discussion flows in various tangents, from being managed by the current England boss and Brendan Rodgers to the urgent quest to find a barber in the area.

He opens some correspondence on his desk. Included is a letter from a Leicester supporter wishing him well, along with a couple of professional photographs from that season. {'Young Fuchs,' he remarks, smiling. Another envelope brings a hoard of old stickers, one from an album celebrating Euro 2016, when he skippered Austria. A note from the Newport Supporters’ Club is given special attention. 'Stuff like this makes me very pleased,' he states.

A Prior Encounter and a Funny Mistake

Prior to coming back from North Carolina to assume his first job in frontline management last month, Fuchs’s previous visit to Rodney Parade was in January 2019, when Leicester endured a Newport shock defeat in the FA Cup third round. That day David Pipe competed with Fuchs. {'He had the performance of his career,' Fuchs says. But when the official sheets dropped, an curious error was discovered. {'You need to edit this,' Fuchs remarks. 'They got wrong my name – somehow a 'k' crept in in place of the 'h'. It is hilarious because Fuchs, in German, means fox, so it’s something fitting.'

Experiences from The Tinkerman, Rodgers and Tuchel

His move to join the Foxes in the summer of 2015 proved brilliant. A couple of weeks later Leicester appointed Claudio Ranieri and the rest is history. The Italian came to the club in the midst of a pre-season camp in Austria and his light-touch approach produced miracles. {'When you see Claudio you envision an elder gentleman, so experienced in the game, maybe a bit set in his ways, but he’s so not,' Fuchs states. {'He just said he was going to monitor training in Austria for the first week. He stayed out of it at all. After that week we had a meeting and he said: 'I’ve studied you for a week and I’m not going to alter anything.''

Fuchs holds dear experiences from Rodgers and Tuchel, under whom he worked while on loan at Mainz. {'He always pondered: ‘How can I get more out of the players? How can I challenge them psychologically?’’ Fuchs says of Tuchel. {'That’s a major part of our philosophy as well. How can you make good decision-makers? Back then he was probably in a analogous place to where I am now … very driven, very keen to prove himself.'

Roots and a Resolute Mindset

Fuchs’s motivation stems from his early years in Neunkirchen. {'There are comparisons to where we are now, because I was told when I was 11 years old that I would never be capable enough,' he discloses. {'There are people who let that get the better of them or there are people who say: ‘Fuchs you, I’m going to show you.’ I’ve been told too many times: ‘You can not do this, you cannot do that.’ I’m going to demonstrate that I can and work my socks off. The other thing about my make-up is: I’m pretty stubborn. If I see potential, I’m making it happen.'

Detailed Approach and the Fight for Survival

Fuchs’s assistant, Mark Smith, was born in Newport and had been in charge of Fuchs’s Fox Soccer Academy. Fuchs opens his laptop to show statistics from a recent 2-2 draw, sharing a slide he showed his players. {'The team hit many, many season bests,' he explains, noting ball progression and statistics about penetrating defensive lines. Passing accuracy was shown as 87%. {'Not pleased with that … that needs to be in the mid-90s,' he insists. {'My first game, it was very long-ball, fourth-tier football, but we want to be unique. I think a five-yard pass has a higher percentage to be successful than just hoofing it all the time.'

The overarching numbers make bleak reading. Newport have won three of 19 league matches and are yet to win in eight in all competitions. By the time of their next home game, they will have not won a game at home for 273 days and have kept just two clean sheets in 26 matches this season. But a recent last-gasp equaliser with 10 men secured a valuable point. {'We need to be a dominant side at home,' Fuchs emphasizes. {'It’s just not satisfactory, not even having a win. We need to construct a impenetrable home.'

Still a Player at Heart

By his own confession, Fuchs likes a challenge. {'What’s so negative with that?' He ended his playing career less than three years ago and, like Tuchel, enjoys being in the thick of things. {'I’m a part of the group. I’m still a player inside,' he says, tapping his chest. {'At training I’m always getting involved in the small-sided games – two megs already, get in! I want us to view each other as one team. Yes, you’re the ones on the field, but we’re a collective, we’re tackling this together.'