Christian Fuchs revealed he jokingly attempted to recruit former Leicester City teammate Jamie Vardy to Newport County during his transition to management. The Austrian, who celebrated Premier League glory with Leicester in 2016, now faces the daunting task of keeping Newport County in the Football League after taking charge in November.

Fuchs, who had been coaching at Charlotte FC, admitted the Newport opportunity came unexpectedly before a planned family holiday. The former left-back contacted several football contacts including Dean Smith and Brendan Rodgers for advice as he took on the League Two strugglers sitting five points from safety.

Despite the challenge, Fuchs has overseen a turnaround at Rodney Parade, collecting eight points from five home games after a season without victories. The manager emphasized building confidence and belief within the squad, using his experience of defying doubters during his playing career to motivate his current team.