John Still described Maidstone as a big part of his life after rejoining the club where he won his first Conference championship 30 years ago.

Still’s feelings for United were hard to ignore when chief executive Bill Williams offered him the chance to return three decades after leading them to the Football League.

The 68-year-old has a different task on his hands this time as he attempts to keep them in the National League.

But it’s one that excites the Stones legend who has been tempted back to the dugout just a month after stepping down at Barnet and announcing his retirement from management.

Offers came his way - including roles at Premier League clubs - but the chance to be his own man at Maidstone was the biggest draw.

Still, who’s signed an 18-month deal, said: “I do have an allegiance here because it was an important part of my life and I’ve known Bill for years.

“I just thought if I could pick the right time, the right place and the right people, I could wait forever.

“But if I can get two of those, right people, right place, not necessarily the right time, because of where the club is, then that’s what I’ll do.

“We’re not in the right place at the moment but we have to work hard to make it the right place. That’s what I’ve got to do.

“People say you should never go back. Well, I went back a couple of times at Dagenham and it worked so I don’t have any fears about that.

“When you have success, the first title is a really important one.

“We won that league and I loved it.

“It was really important part of my career and although I’d won leagues before, they were lower leagues.

“That was the first one that pushed me up the ladder, so it was a special one.”

Still left after promotion to the Football League - he had a well-paid job away from football - but he kept a close eye on Maidstone and took it badly when they went bust on the eve of the 1992-93 season.

He said: “I can’t tell you how disappointed I was when Maidstone folded.

“So many people worked so hard to get that club into the Football League.

“Lose it on the pitch, I could understand. I wouldn’t be happy with it but I could understand, but to lose as it was, it really affected me, it really did.

“I was really disappointed and when it started to rise again I was so pleased.

“I actually think I was one of the first people to ring Bill and say how pleased I was for the club because it was a massive part of my life.”

Maidstone are six points from safety as Still starts his reign at National League leaders Leyton Orient tomorrow.

He’s making no promises about survival but his appointment surely gives Maidstone the best possible chance.

Still said: “You know what, whoever said the league table doesn’t lie was 100% right. It doesn’t lie.

“This club is in a desperate, desperate, desperate position.

“If we asked 100 supporters of other clubs in this league, name four clubs to go down, I would think 100 would name us as one at this moment. So that’s the size of the task and that’s the size of the challenge.

“Can we do it? I haven’t got a clue.

“Wherever I go, I always say I’m not a quick fix, I’ve never been a quick fix.

“I’ve managed to win leagues in a year but a lot of that was good coaching, good players, good management, good luck.

“But at other times it might take a bit more time to get the foundations.

“We’ve got a little bit of luck in terms of we’ve got one game, which is Leyton Orient this week.

“Probably not one person will have a bet on us winning, and that’s great, because we’re under no pressure, and then we’ve got a cup game (Salford away in FA Trophy).

“So we’ve got two weeks for me to try and work to give ourselves the rest of the games to do it.

“Do I want to win on Saturday? Of course I do. Do I want to win in the cup? Of course I do.

“But I’ve got to work, work, work, work, work, to give ourselves a chance to be better for as many games as possible and I’m going to need that time to do a little bit of work, on and off the pitch.”