Paul Steinmetz joined Ulster as a player in 2003

Ulster player Paul Steinmetz has been appointed as a player/coach with the Irish province for the 2008/09 season.

Alongside his own training, Steinmetz will coach the backs.

"For me, this is a huge opportunity to potentially bridge the gap between being a professional player and having a proper job as a coach," he said.

"Coaching was never a lifetime ambition for me but certainly at the end of the season I will be looking more into which direction I go in."

"I am learning a lot working alongside the Ulster coaches and there is plenty of knowledge to draw on every day.

"The biggest fear I had about the shift in my role was whether or not the players would listen to me, but so far they seem to be keen to listen so that is great," added the Ulster centre.