John Still sees Hakan Hayrettin taking on more and more responsibility at Maidstone.

Still is the main man at the Gallagher as United's head of football but Hayrettin plays an ever-increasing role as head coach.

The pair go back years, with Hayrettin playing under Still at Dagenham before teaming up in the dugout to lead Luton to the Conference championship.

They're working their magic again, rebuilding Maidstone after last season's relegation.

Still said: "Certainly the longer it goes on, I want to push most things to Hak, without a doubt.

"Let's get to the end of the season and see where we are.

"It's hard because sometimes I say to him, I do 99% of the coaching but he understands what I do because he's done it.

"The intention is for him to come further forward and for me to go a bit further back but at the moment it works perfectly.

"You haven't got to get on with people you work with but we do get on.

"If I'm unhappy with something I'll tell him and he tells me.

"We don't take offence - it's business.

"The interesting thing about it is there are no mixed messages for the players.

"He's worked with me and played for me and we think the same things and talk about the same things.

"He's worked as a manager at this level and the one above and this is the ideal club for his development and an ideal working situation.

• Skipper confronts Braintree fan
• Hak on Iron draw

"He's doing a good job, as I knew he would. Working with him is exactly what I thought it would be."

Still probably wouldn't be at the Gallagher if it wasn't for Hayrettin agreeing to leave Braintree to become his head coach.

That's how important he is to Still, who retired from management at Barnet last Christmas, only to accept an offer from Maidstone a month later.

With concerns for wife Barbara's health, he didn't want to be an outright manager any more and turned to Hayrettin for help.

Still said: "When the club spoke to me about coming back, because of my personal situation, I was like, 'not really' but then in talking, I said I'd love to help but can I bring someone with me that I think is like-minded.

"I spoke to Hak and said, 'if you want to do it, we'll do it, if not, I'll go back and tell them'.

"He was always the one I wanted and he said yes.

"I told him a magic wand wouldn't keep them up and we had to suffer a bit at the end of last season.

"We've made a lot of changes, we're improving and we are as hardworking a side as I've had.

"Over a couple of seasons we could make this into a really good side capable of promotion.

"Can we do it this year? Maybe but certainly over a couple of years."

Read more: The latest sports news in Kent