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Most players hate pre-season but former international striker Stefan Kiessling admits he had an novel approach to the gruelling tests - he let his wife do them.

The Bayer Leverkusen favourite - who retired from the game a few months ago - is currently assistant to the club sporting director Rudi Voller.

He spent 12 years at the German club, netting 131 goals in 342 games and become a firm crowd favourite along striker.

He was never a workhorse striker - more a player who was always in the right place at the right time.

And wife Norina helped him through his successful career, which also saw six international caps for Germany.

(Image: Getty Images)

"I never did one hundred percent of the exercises in the preparation periods, not once," he told Sport Bild.

"You get a heart rate monitor on which all runs are saved.

"As my wife is very athletic, she did some racing with the wristband according to my specs."

So he was found out straight away, right? Well, no.

"She did it so well that nobody noticed," he added, before saying it had no impact on anything he did on the pitch, where he was "always in the lead'.

Well done Norina, you have the stamina of an international footballer. The couple married in 2008 and have two children together.

Kiessling, now 34, is obviously enjoying his retirement.

(Image: Getty Images)

In the interview he added: "Of course I knew when the boys have to start on vacation.

"We've just been to Mexico, and I said to my wife, "Honey, I'm not going to the gym today. I prefer to stay on the beach. '"