Dover boss Andy Hessenthaler is not ruling out signing a player-coach or a player-assistant manager.

Whites returned to pre-season training this week but their backroom team looks threadbare at present.

Coach Nicky Southall’s departure was announced on Friday, with player-coach Reda Johnson having also left Crabble at the end of last season.

“Nicky couldn’t do the training schedule because of other work commitments,” Hessenthaler said.

“It’s a gutter for me but we are going to deal with that.

“I’m actively looking and speaking to a few people. I have not ruled out a player-coach or player-assistant role for somebody.

“I’m talking to a player that has some experience that would be interested in the role as well as being a player, so we will see how that goes.”

On the field things are looking brighter, with striker Reece Grant, midfielder Arjanit Krasniqi and winger Luke Wanadio having agreed to be part of Dover’s squad in National League South.

Krasniqi is one of three left-footed players already in the squad alongside returning Tyrone Sterling and full-back Alfie Paxman, who has joined from Folkestone.

“We are starting to build the balance, that’s the key,” Hessenthaler explained.

“One thing last year was we didn’t have enough left-sided players in the team.

“But this year, we have got Tyrone Sterling back at the club, Alfie Paxman has come in from Folkestone and Arjanit Krasniqi who is also left-footed.

"With the likes of Alfie Pavey in the team, we have got to get crosses in from wide areas. But we are building it the right way.”

Grant, 27, arrives having helped Maidstone win the National League South title last season. He previously featured for Ebbsfleet and Dagenham.

“I have come across Reece quite a few times,” said Hessenthaler. “At Braintree, he was a real handful.

“So we have got more experienced centre-forwards as well as some younger ones like Noah Carney, who had been injured but played for England Schoolboys, and George Nikaj, who we have put under contract to see how he develops.

“He showed what he can do against Woking when he scored his first senior goal.”

Krasniqi, 22, first joined Whites in January and made 17 National League appearances overall last season, doing enough to earn a longer stay at Crabble.

Hessenthaler stated: “For me, he got better as his time went on at the club.

“He knows this level. He was at Braintree and was a stand-out for them.

"For me, he can only get better.”

Experienced ex-Gillingham keeper Stuart Nelson has joined, although Alexis Andre Jr’s time at the club appears to have come to an end.

“I think that’s gone now. We just couldn’t get to the money they were looking for,” Hessenthaler conceded.

“It’s unfortunate. We are looking for a young keeper to push Stuart and [to cover] if Stuart were to have a problem.

“But we are not panicking about that.”

Sterling is capable of playing left-back and centre-back but it’s in the latter position which Hessenthaler expects to use the Grenada international.

He said: “He will be a left-sided centre-half.

"He can play left-back as well but, for me, Tyrone will be at centre-back for us.”

Full-back Myles Judd is also back training with Dover ahead of the new campaign.

“We have got Myles in, we just want him to prove his fitness,” Hessenthaler added. “He has got good experience and played a lot of games in League 2.

“He looks fit but he is not really there at the top of his fitness just yet.

“We brought him in last year but he didn’t have a full pre-season. If he gets a full pre-season, that will only benefit him.

“We will talk with him at the weekend. I think we need another full-back and maybe a striker or a winger.

“We have brought in Luke Wanadio, he looks fit, and young Paxman can play there, but we could maybe do with another.

“We will look around but there’s only so much we can spend.

"We have a budget and will have to spend it carefully.”