WHEN Jason Tindall was sacked as manager of non-league Weymouth, the prospect of becoming one of the most decorated coaches in Europe must have been the furthest thing from his mind.

Alongside Eddie Howe, Tindall has carved out an impressive career, with the two contrasting characters today celebrating the fourth anniversary of their second spell at Dean Court.

A year after helping plot Cherries’ meteoric rise to the Premier League, Tindall joined an elite group of coaches when he passed the prestigious UEFA Pro Licence in the summer.

It has been one success story after another for Cherries’ much-vaunted managerial duo, a far cry from when Tindall cut his teeth in south Dorset almost 10 years ago.

Tindall, whose playing career with Cherries was cut short due to a serious knee injury, reluctantly took the reins at Weymouth with the club in turmoil both on and off the pitch.

His tenure lasted 12 months and he left the Wessex Stadium with Weymouth five points above the Blue Square Premier relegation zone.

Despite his struggles, Tindall, who spent four years on the books as a schoolboy at Arsenal before joining Charlton, believes it was a baptism which has served him well.

Tindall, who made 195 appearances during eight years with Cherries, told the Daily Echo: “Being a manager had never really crossed my mind.

“I did it at Weymouth but not because I wanted to but because of the situation at the club. It was a remarkable story really.

“I was retired and had only gone there to train because it gave me something to do during the day and I had friends there.

“I was presented with an opportunity which I wasn’t ready for and hadn’t gone there for.

“I quite enjoyed it and it was a huge learning experience. I think my time at Weymouth possibly helped Ed in his early journey in management. Mistakes I made I didn’t want him to make.”

Tindall and Howe first forged their unlikely managerial alliance following Jimmy Quinn’s sacking as Cherries boss on New Year’s Eve 2008.

Despite playing together, the pair were never close friends, although the seeds of a fruitful working relationship were sown when Howe worked in the youth ranks under Quinn.

“We weren’t buddies, we were team-mates,” said Tindall. “We played and trained together but didn’t socialise away from football.

“We were two different characters and I think that has probably helped and still does to this day. We have managed to form a really good working relationship and it has been successful for us until this day.”

Tindall came out of retirement to play his part in Cherries’ Greatest Escape of 2008-09 before helping Howe direct operations from the technical area as they secured promotion the following season.

After an 18-month stay at Burnley, Tindall followed Howe back to Dean Court in October 2012 and has been a key figure on the journey through the Championship and Premier League – levels Tindall never reached as a player. Asked whether there had been any compensation in being able to coach at the top even though he had never played there, Tindall replied: “I can have no regrets in life or in my career.

“I am one of those people who just looks forward. I look at what can be rather than what might have been.

“You have to accept disappointments which come your way and try to learn from them. You need to let them be your driving force to success.

“The only thing I would change would be the injuries because they hampered my career in terms of stopping me playing as many games as I would have liked. If I had stayed 100 per cent fit, who knows where it could have taken me?

“I am very thankful and fortunate that I have been involved in football for this length of time.”