CLIVE WALKER had no hesitation in returning as manager of Dover Athletic despite being sacked by the club 15 months ago.

Walker, who takes over from Steve Browne following his dismissal after Saturday's home defeat by Kingstonian, said: "This was one of only a handful of jobs I would have left Chatham for."

But the popular 59-year-old, who spent nearly seven years at the club as assistant to Bill Williams, Gary Bellamy and Neville Southall before becoming the number one himself in March 2002, admitted: "This has all come out of the blue to be honest. I never though in my wildest dreams that I would be coming back to Dover. I loved being at the club and was disappointed to leave - it wasn't my choice."

Walker would not be drawn further on his controversial sacking by former chairman Mick Kemp, but he has now been brought back by Mr Kemp's successor, Jim Parmenter, after a disastrous run of form which has seen Whites win just six league games in 12 months.

Saturday's defeat against fellow strugglers Kingstonian was the final straw for Mr Parmenter and Browne was sacked after just 95 days in the job, minutes after the final whistle of a match which left Dover rooted to the bottom of the Ryman Premier League table and staring relegation in the face - their third in four seasons.

Walker, who joined Dr Martens League East side Chatham just days after his departure from Dover, enjoyed a good time at Maidstone Road, turning the strugglers into a mid-table side on a low budget but found the lure of the Hoverspeed Stadium too much.

He said: "Dover is a big club and I look at the league table and think what has happened to get the club to this level. I had some great times in my previous spell and I jumped at the chance to return as I want to return the club to the levels that it should be - they are a giant in non-league terms."

The former Northampton and Maidstone boss admits the Whites are in a perilous position but is confident the club can return to better days.

"When the chairman contacted me it was an easy decision to make. I have known him for a long time and was impressed with what he had to say and though it looks a big ask when you look at the table, we will battle on until it is mathematically impossible.

"It is not going to be easy and something must have been going wrong for the club to find itself in this position, but it is my job to solve that and start to win football matches again."

Walker met the current squad on Tuesday evening but will find a team that is very much different to the one he left behind 15 months ago. Forty-three players have been used this season, with only Dean Readings and Craig Cloke playing regularly while Paul Hyde has come back into the side in the last three games after an enforced period on the sidelines.

But the veteran goalkeeper, who is expected to assist Walker while he gets to know his new players, believes the correct decision has been made.

He said: "Clive is so experienced and knows how to make this football club great again, it is a great decision. We seem to have got the off-field problems under control, and now hopefully under Clive we can pick some much needed results.

"It is a shrewd move as he knows this standard of football and if we are relegated I am sure he knows how to get us back up."