Former England prop Mako Vunipola says he started to plan for his retirement by venturing into coaching at Leicester Tigers.

The 35-year-old is juggling his playing duties at the East Midlands club with a coaching role with their Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) side.

Vunipola put his plans to hang up his boots on hold this season when he decided return to English rugby with Leicester after two years in France with Vannes.

The former Saracens front-rower also viewed the move as one that could help him prepare for what comes after his decorated playing career - including four Premiership titles and three European Champions Cup winners' medals - comes to an end.

"The rugby career is very short and it's time for me to start looking for what life looks like after rugby," he told BBC East Midlands Today.

"I wanted to explore the avenue of being a coach, so when Leicester spoke to me about coming to join the team I let them know that I'd like to transition into coaching.

"And they've been kind enough to help me in that process."

Vunipola's move to Leicester has him playing under former international team-mate Geoff Parling - a rugby boss who will be able to relate to what the prop is trying to do as an active player aspiring to be a coach.

Parling was emerging as a first-team player at Newcastle when he took on his first coaching job at university level, then later in his career, when playing for Exeter Chiefs, he worked with the Taunton Titans.

Vunipola has waited into the twilight of his playing career before turning some of his attention to coaching, which is an undertaking that has come with a few surprises.

"It's a teething process," he said.

"I thought rugby was just rugby and you just turn up and it's all the same, being a coach and a player. I had to quickly learn that it wasn't.

"It's been great to just be out there on the field in a different role trying learn how best I can become a coach."

And while he does that, he says his main focus remains on delivering for Tigers on the pitch.

Vunipola was a headline signing of the summer and has so far made six appearances across all competitions for a Tigers side top of the early Prem table.

"We're in the thick of the season and I'm just enjoying every moment as much as I can when I get the opportunity to play," he said.

The early months of Vunipola's time at Tigers have been dominated by what he can do as a player, but he has also got involved in Leicester's preparations for the upcoming PWR season as part of director of women's rugby Fraser Goatcher's support staff.

Goatcher says he is grateful for the "extra set of hands" - especially ones that have pulled on a British and Irish Lions shirt, while some players are a little more "starstruck" by Vunipola.

"I was a pretty big fan. He doesn't know that, but yeah it's been pretty special," said Tigers prop Ellie Smith.

"I grew up watching him, so having him as a coach has been a real privilege. And he has made a really big difference to my scrums.

"He has grown a lot as a coach. He was really quiet when he first came in, but now he talks all the time.

"He's really good at speaking with us girls and I think he's learned a lot about the girls programme that he didn't know before."

What Vunipola does know about rugby has come from some of the most astute minds in the world game.

And it is the knowledge accumulated from the who's who of head coaches and directors of rugby that he is keen to put to use - be it England boss Steve Borthwick, his predecessor Eddie Jones, ex-British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland or his successor Andy Farrell.

"They are all great coaches," Vunipola said.

"The coach I want to be is someone that can take bits from their coaching ability and add to it what I can. But that's a bit of a tough ask."

Follow Leicester Tigers on BBC Sounds

Post-match round-ups and analysis on all things Tigers

Subscribe and listen for everything you love about the Tigers