“But they also regard him as a truly kind guy with a pleasant disposition. In public and at news conferences, he smiles, cracks jokes, and is quite patient, and I believe people have responded to that.”

Le Bris is not your normal manager, as he holds a doctorate in sports physiology and biomechanics.

His popularity on Wearside meant that when he went to the seafront at Roker early in his tenure, he was surprised to find himself swarmed by admirers.

After learning his lesson, this calm and considerate character has occasionally sneaked into Newcastle for an evening out.

However, this football student is most comfortable at the Academy of Light. “Regis is a bit shy, but he’s very personable and he has a wry sense of humour and he’s become a bit more comfortable in his own skin,” Barnes told me.

“He’s highly focused. He appears to spend the most of his time at work. He jokes about being at his happiest in front of his laptop, watching matches.

“He purposely learnt English to come to this country to make a name for himself and you could argue he has done that.”

Le Bris had a limited playing career, appearing in Ligue 1 with Rennes, but the proud son of Brittany discovered his true passion when he went to coaching with Wasquehal at the age of 27.

He swiftly acquired his badges and was soon back at his old club, taking on a young coaching role.

He was successful there, winning the French counterpart of the Youth Cup and the U18 Championship before taking on a similar role at Lorient.

Again, he was highly involved in the development programme, first with the under-17s and subsequently as the reserve team manager.

However, his interest in youth football sprang from a strong desire to improve himself and advance in his career. “Regis has always been very ambitious,” said Mathieu Pelicart, the Lorient correspondent for provincial weekly Le Telegramme.

“While preparing to make the step up to be a number one, he had already done a few trips abroad to clubs in Germany and Spain and he had never hidden his desire to learn more about other leagues.”

His ambition was achieved when he took over Lorient in 2022, and after eight wins in his first ten games, the club finished second in the table.
His ambition was achieved when he took over Lorient in 2022, and after eight wins in his first ten games, the club finished second in the table.

They ended 10th, but beat Lyon, Lille, and, most crucially, Paris St-Germain, which had Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. However, everything went wrong during his second season, which ended with relegation on the final day. He left the club by mutual consent on June 22, 2024.

They finished 10th, but had wins over Lyon, Lille, and, most importantly, Paris St-Germain, which had Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

However, everything went wrong in his second season, which concluded with relegation on the last day. He left the club by mutual consent on June 22, 2024.