Darren Blackburn says it’s an honour to be part of Hythe’s new management team.

Blackburn made a quick return to football after leaving Sittingbourne by joining Steve Watt’s coaching staff at Reachfields.

The chance to work with Watt, who returned to the Cannons hot seat last month, appealed to Blackburn.

He’s also excited to be linking up with Nathan Elder, who he previously worked with at Sittingbourne, and Frannie Collin, with one more appointment to be announced.

“Watty’s a good guy, an easy guy to work with,” said Blackburn. “I’m really lucky to be working with a good bunch of people, like I was at Sittingbourne last year.

“You look at what Watty’s done in the game, and what Elds and Frannie have done - it’s an honour to be part of a management team like that.

“Watty’s coached my son, Logan, for the last year at the Pro Soccer Academy and I’ve been impressed with him as a person as much as anything else.

“We chatted loads when I was at Sittingbourne, I’d even said to him about coming in there before things went in a different direction.

“I’m looking forward to watching him coach in a men’s set-up, after seeing what he’s done with Logan, and expanding my knowledge of the game and learning from him.

“It will be really good to be around him, Elds, who I missed massively when he left Sittingbourne, and Frannie, who’s had a great career.

“There’s a lot to look forward to after what was a real sad end for me at Sittingbourne when I got sacked.

“I’m sure we’ll have a few laughs along the way and when you look at the contacts we’ve got between us, if we can’t put a decent side together, we might as well give up.

“We’ve all had a good chat and we’re very much of the same opinion about the personality of the lads being just as important as the ability of the lads.

“We’ve tried to go down a certain route with those we’ve brought in.”

Blackburn was the first addition to the management team when Watt succeeded James Rogers.

The intention was to appoint Elder as assistant but outside commitments will limit the former Brighton and Brentford striker’s involvement.

Collin has returned to a player-coach role after finishing this season at Ashford.

“I’ll do whatever Watty wants me to do,” said Blackburn. “No.2, No.3, it doesn’t matter to me.

“Job titles have never been an issue as far as I’m concerned, I’m just happy to be here and helping out however I can. It was a no-brainer to come here.”