Michael was a later addition to the Baggies' coaching team. 

The former defender officially replaced Jaime Monroy as Carlos Corberán's First Team Assistant Coach in December 2022. 

A no-nonsense centre-back during his playing days, Hefele spent the first seven years of his professional career in his native Germany. 

After starting out at Spvgg Unterhaching, Michael had to prove himself in the reserve side before making his senior bow at the Sportpark Unterhaching. His professional league debut came in the 3.Liga against FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt in August 2010. 

"Hef" netted his first professional goal the following season in 2012 against the same team he'd made his debut against the previous term, and would make more than 30 appearances before joining Bundesliga outfit Greuther Fürth.

The resolute centre-half went on loan to SV Wacker Burghausen in 2014 during his short stay at the Cloverleaves. That spell failed to compare to Michael's next move, which would provide him with the most club football he'd gain at first-team level over the course of his career. 

Dynamo Dresden secured Hefele's services in 2014 and threw him straight into action as the Unterhaching academy graduate, born in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, played 36 matches across all competitions and scored four goals. This form and confidence was taken straight into the 2015/16 campaign, where the German made 40 appearances, scored an impressive seven goals and registered three assists to help Dresden lift the German third-tier title.

Michael made more than 75 appearances during his time in Saxony and was appointed club captain during his final term at the club before a decisive switch to English football took his career to new levels. Huddersfield Town, under the stewardship of David Wagner at the time, signed the central defender in July 2016. 

He made a fantastic start to life in England's second tier, scoring 26 seconds after coming off the bench to help the Terriers secure a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa on his Championship debut.

Hefele would net important strikes during his maiden term at the John Smith's Stadium. From his five strikes over the 2016/17 season, two came as a brace during Town's 4-0 FA Cup win over Rochdale, and Hefele scored an 89th-minute winner to help Huddersfield beat Leeds 2-1 in their West Yorkshire derby.

And the defender earned the privilege of playing in one of English football's most lucrative occasions, starting in the Championship Play-Off Final to ensure the Terriers sealed a first-ever promotion to the Premier League following a 4-3 penalty-shootout win against Reading at Wembley in May 2017.

Although an achilles injury restricted his game time to just two outings during the 2017/18 campaign, Hefele made his top-flight debut as a late substitute against Newcastle United in August before playing his final Premier League match against Man Utd in February 2018 at Old Trafford.

Hefele made close to 50 appearances for the West Yorkshire outfit and finished his playing days at Nottingham Forest in 2021 prior to embarking on his current coaching journey.