WHEN a 20-year-old Jamaican-Canadian striker struck twice at Nene Park in Northamptonshire, it spelled the end of Jason Tindall’s career in management – for a decade at least.

Amongst the rubble of a topsy-turvy Blue Square Premier clash between Rushden & Diamonds and Weymouth, goalscorer Simeon Jackson shone brightest and earned his big break into the Football League, signing for Gillingham on January 28, 2008, just two days after his fatal brace.

However, it was a different story for rookie coach Tindall, who on the same day was relieved of his duties as player-manager of the Terras after the 3-2 defeat, which left his side 19th in the top tier of non-league.

Jackson continued his rapid rise up the leagues, eventually spending two seasons as a Premier League striker with Norwich City. He was actually heavily linked with a move to Cherries to work under Eddie Howe and Tindall in 2013, but he instead ended up at Bundesliga side Eintracht Braunschweig.

It may have taken the beaten Terras boss a little bit longer to emerge as another diamond from the rough, but fast forward 12-and-a-half years and Tindall, now 42, has more than 500 games as an assistant manager under his belt and boasts the prestigious coaching UEFA Pro License.

“Going back to my days as Weymouth manager, that was something that just got presented to me almost with no thought or consideration at the time,” Tindall told the Daily Echo.

“I only went there to train for a few days with some friends and then all of a sudden the club went bankrupt and pretty much everyone left the football club and I had someone come to me asking me if I’d like to manage the team, which was about six players at the time.

“I took it on, I learnt a hell of a lot. It was a great challenge and a great learning experience, a great learning curve and certainly one at the time I wasn’t prepared for but it was part of the journey that I’ve had up until now.”

And that journey back to being a manager has certainly been a memorable one. Having initially returned to Cherries under Jimmy Quinn, Tindall quickly found himself working alongside Howe and played his part in a remarkable rise for the club of three promotions and five seasons in the Premier League, as well as a spell away at Burnley.

Asked if he ever had ambitions to become a manager throughout his career, Tindall said: “Not really. I think as a player you’re just solely focused on playing and you get into a routine.

“You play, you want to win, you want to try and achieve as much as you can and unfortunately for me, and Ed was a similar journey where he got injured and had to retire from the game, but when football is in your blood and you know nothing else, you’ve then got a decision to make.

“What do you want to do? Do you want to step away from something that you love and you’ve been involved with all your life or do you want to try and continue and forge a career in the game.

“I was no different.

“I enjoyed coaching and developing players and that’s how the journey started and obviously with the journey that we’ve been on, Ed and myself throughout this time and the success we’ve achieved, I’ve never once for one moment thought about becoming a manager at any point, up until Ed obviously made the personal decision that he made.”

Howe was well-known for his all-encompassing approach to managing Cherries, throughout all departments of the club.

Asked what type of manager he plans to be, Tindall added: “I think as the manager you have to take on the responsibility, solely and be accountable for the team you pick and the style of play and the decisions that are made.

“I know that is what is going to happen. I’m prepared to do that. I’d like to think I’m good with people and can get the best out of people and with my own ideas and what I want to implement going forward.

“I’m really excited and looking forward to doing that.”