Former Maidstone boss John Still has told Hakan Hayrettin he is doing an unbelievable job.

Hayrettin stepped up from his role as head coach to succeed Still at the Gallagher and has embraced the chance to be his own man.

Many of Still’s values are ingrained in Hayrettin and, as close friends, they’ve remained in regular contact.

Stones legend Still, the club’s 1989 Conference-winning manager, had the final say last season but believes his successor has assembled a better squad.

Hayrettin said: “John’s been on the phone several times and said ‘You’re doing an unbelievable job, the squad’s much better, great job.’

“Before every game and after the games, he says ‘I’ve watched the clips, you’ve done well.’ He’s always encouraging me.

“He’s moved on to pastures new but he’s always looking and saying well done.”

Still and Hayrettin built a squad from scratch following relegation from the National League in 2019.

Given the volume of signings required, Still always said it would be impossible to get every one right.

But Maidstone kept the best ones, with Hayrettin adding the likes of George Porter, Joe Ellul, Joan Luque and Scott Rendell for this season’s National South challenge.

“We started the process last season,” said Hayrettin. “Was it the best squad? No. Was it the worst squad? No.

“Is it a better squad now? One hundred per cent it’s a better squad, in terms of the personnel and what they bring to the table.

“My job is to try and get the best out of every single one of them when they’re playing.

“Have I done that? The majority of the time I think I have.

“Is everyone going to play well every game? No, but as long as the team functions, the individuals will flourish and that’s what we’re trying to achieve.

“Listen, we made signings together last season and some of them turned out not to be right, but some were.

“When you do this job, you’re never going to get all the signings right and you’ve got people above you that are looking at you thinking, ‘You’re spending my money, you’ve got to spend it wisely.’

“The way I look at it, it’s my money now. I’m in charge of it and I’ve got to spend it wisely, and that’s what I’ve tried to do. I think we’ve done OK.

“I think the club, at the time when me and John came in, had been through 60-odd players that season.

“We tried to change some at the time to try and get a bit of consistency, but it didn’t work.

“Did we come in too late? Maybe. If it was a month earlier it might have been different.

“Our remit last season was to get in the play-offs and I think if Covid hadn’t hit we’d have done that.”

Maidstone are set to return to action this Saturday following a Covid outbreak in the squad, with a rearranged FA Trophy tie at home to Poole Town.

Read more: The latest sports news in Kent