Nathan Elder is determined to help Sittingbourne's talented youngsters fulfil their potential.

Elder was promoted to assistant manager in February and is thriving in his new role alongside boss Chris Lynch.

The former Brentford striker has so much experience to share with the Brickies players and only wants the best for them.

Elder said: "We’ve got some talented boys at Sittingbourne. There’s some who, without a doubt, should be going to higher leagues.

"Whether that’s the Football League yet, I’m not sure, but there are three or four who I think can push on.

"But they need to learn a lot first and that’s part of my job now.

"It’s not just about success for the club domestically – a cup run or doing well in the league – but also where can we push these players to in the future?

"Are these players going to get phone calls in the future to go to higher clubs?

"That’s part of our job as well, to get these guys careers in the game and that’s what we’re looking to do."

Having hung up his boots, Elder is finding the world of coaching a steep learning curve.

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He said: "I’m learning a lot from Chris every single week. I speak to him pretty much every day, even now during the off-season, because we're trying to build something special this year.

"It’s a good club which just needed a bit of help. From before Chris started to now, he’s adapted everything from the training to the way we turn up on matchdays, even things like club tracksuits.

"There’s been a lot of changes and it’s good for me, at this stage in my career, to see the changes he’s been making to then know what you should be expecting at any other club.

"If you go to a club with loads of money, you need to exactly where that money needs to be spent. I didn’t know any of that before and I’ve still got a long way to go but I’m learning a lot."

Elder's already seen enough to know he'd like to be a manager himself one day.

"It’s a wave of emotion," he said. "When you’re on the sideline, you’ve only got a certain element of control.

"You can put 11 players on the pitch but you can’t control what they do with the ball.

"You can give them all the advice in the world and give them tactics but someone’s recovery run or someone losing their man on a corner, you can’t control any of that and that’s one thing I’ve had to adapt to - letting go a little bit."

Nathan Elder was speaking on the KM Football Podcast

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