Josh Wright has confirmed he won’t be playing now that’s he taken on his first permanent managerial role.

The new Ebbsfleet boss watched on from the sidelines as his team lost 4-1 at new National League leaders Barnet on Saturday.

The 35-year-old midfielder wants to give managerial matters his full attention.

“I think it’s all or nothing,” stated Wright. “I’m either a player or a manager.

“I’ve chosen this route now after being offered the role and that’s how I see it.

“I’ve got to give my 110 per cent to the manager’s role and that’s what I want to do so while I can, I will be managing and won’t be playing.”

Wright will be hoping to get the best out of striker Dominic Poleon.

The Fleet’s leading scorer came off the bench to get his side a deserved consolation goal at Barnet, ending a run of 505 minutes without a league goal.

“Young Maxx Manktelow came on and played a big part in it,” reflected Wright. “Dom ran it down and then showed composure to stick it in the back of the net.

“It might seem like a consolation but a goal like that could be massive moving forward, especially for someone like Dom Poleon who we know likes to be in amongst the goals.

“If we can get the best out of him, he can be a very good player. I know him, he knows me, and I know he’ll give me everything so long may that continue and there’s many more to come.”

Wright was pleased with Ebbsfleet’s second-half performance after a testing first 45 minutes.

“There’s no two ways about it, it was a very difficult first half,” stated the Fleet boss, who couldn’t have been given a tougher first assignment.

“We’ve come up against a good side who have done that to many teams this year and there’s a reason why they’re sitting top of the table.

“We tweaked some things at half-time – we had to – with the triple substitution and the change of shape. I’m all about positivity and honesty and what I saw in the second half was boys that want to run and work hard, and that made a big difference.

Read more: Barnet 4-1 Ebbsfleet match report

“We said at half-time ‘show some pride’ as it’s difficult, I’ve been there in my career when you’ve had a tough first half and you’ve got to go again second half and you feel deflated.

“We had to lift them and we saw in the second half what this group can do and what they’re about. They showed character and for me that’s what we have to take forward. We have to take the positives out of today.

“As tough as the first half was, it wasn’t through a lack of trying, it wasn’t through anyone throwing the towel in, it was coming up against a difficult side. We have to wear that, me as the manager set the team up, we chose the shape and personnel.

“But I’m pleased with the second half, I said to them don’t lose the second half and they didn’t. I’m pleased with the second half and we have to take that moving forward.

“A couple of their goals were screamer. To be fair to Mark Cousins, he’s had an incredible game and kept the scoreline down.

“They’ve got momentum and they’re rolling, we don’t have momentum and that’s down to me to build and get into this team from now until the end of the season.

“With that you need the hard work and togetherness, the honest, respect and trust, and once we get that and get the result then we’ll be able to build on it.

“That’s why we have to take that second half performance into next week, take it into training and the game next Saturday.”