Returning boss Steve Watt intends to make Hythe as competitive as possible.

The Cannons were happy to stay in Isthmian South East this season after an enforced budget cut, with James Rogers successfully keeping them up before standing down.

Money remains tight but Watt, who is back at Reachfields six months after resigning, wants to do more than survive.

“I’m not coming back just to stay in the league,” said Watt.

“It’s my nature to be as competitive as I can be.

“Next season is going to be difficult with the teams coming into the league and the amount of money being spent but money doesn’t buy success.

“That’s something we can get players to buy into and try and use to our advantage.

“I’ve got to assemble the best team I can and have players who are all here for each other and want to be at the club and push the club forward.

“We might have to do things a little bit differently, there might be a little less experience than we had before.

“I’ve got targets, people I’m going to go after, and we’ll see what we can build.

“I’m looking at all avenues, seeing what’s available to us, but players have got to be here for the right reasons.”

Watt had been a sounding board for Hythe in their search for a successor for Rogers, who turned down the chance to stay in charge due to personal reasons.

He suggested potential candidates but when an appointment fell through, he was happy to discuss the role himself.

The former defender met the board on Monday night and agreed to return, having left last November to give Hythe the opportunity to implement their budget cut.

“I wanted to get back involved,” said Watt, who has added former Sittingbourne boss Darren Blackburn to his management team.

“I was out of the game for a whole year after I left Maidstone [in 2018] and I didn’t want that to happen again.

“If I was going to go back in at Step 4, why not go to a club I already know?

“I know everybody, it’s a great club, with great people working behind it.

“It ended up being a no-brainer for both parties.

“I always looked for Hythe’s results every week, I had loads of conversations with Rodgo when he was in charge.

“I always said to him if

you need anything, pick the phone up.

“I was sweating a little bit at the end of the season but Rodgo did a great job to keep them in the league.”

Hythe are delighted to welcome Watt back to Reachfields.

“It’s excellent news,” said secretary Martin Giles.

“The best way we can compete with some of the budgets in this league is to get guys in who players want to play for.

“Watty always had a squad who would play for him for more reasonable fees than others could grab elsewhere.

“Players are grabbing money all over Kent at the moment and Watty is the antidote to that.

“We can’t compete financially with other clubs and we aren’t going to get the best players unless they are prepared to play for less money, and that’s what Watty brings.”