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New Margate player-manager Ben Greenhalgh has hit the ground running in charge of the club’s first team.
While the 15-goal playmaker had offers from other clubs, he will stay put at Gate, where he will now combine his playing and managerial roles.
“It was an odd one,” Greenhalgh said. “It took a little bit longer through the off-season because there was a bit of interest in me playing higher and things.
“But my objective was always to play with Margate.
"I have been ringing around players in the last few weeks and checked what position they were in for the forthcoming season.
“There were quite good names involved (who were also in for the Margate manager’s job) - basically, the ones you would all imagine from Kent football - and it wasn’t really my plan.
“But once we got relegated and I started having a think about how I could help the side, it got into my head a little bit.”
Greenhalgh, still only 32, doesn’t see his young age being a major issue as he juggles his new managerial position with being in charge of Dartford’s Academy.
“I’m young - but I’ve always been in football,” he said. “I’ve been a full-time coach since I’ve been out of the full-time game.
“I have turned the Academy at Dartford into an Academy that is progressing a lot of young footballers.
“I didn’t expect it to come so soon. But I’ve worked under Jamie Day and Jay Saunders, who have both done the same thing (as player-boss) themselves.
“I have got a brilliant No.2 coming in that the club will announce at the end of the week. It’s someone I have worked with before.
"He has got to manage me as a player while I manage the team.
“Elliot Leveson is staying on board, as well.
“What he adds is massive because that’s about the finer details. I have been communicating regularly with him.
“We have been very busy and that’s something that we always knew was going to be the case.”
To say Greenhalgh - once of Inter Milan after winning a contract with the Italian giants through the TV show Football’s Next Star - has worked under some good managers is an understatement.
As well as brushing shoulders with Jose Mourinho at Inter, he played under legendary England defender Terry Butcher at Inverness Caledonian Thistle in Scotland.
Greenhalgh said: “The main thing with the good managers is they’re honest and down to earth.
"But, at the same time, there’s got to be a ruthless side to it sometimes.”
Greenhalgh has named defender Harry Hudson as the club’s new captain, replacing midfielder Sam Blackman who has left for Folkestone this summer.
On Hudson, who turned down higher-division interest, Greenhalgh said: “He will give 100 percent every single game.
“He was on board from the beginning.
“The fans have loved Harry in the last few years and Harry himself will probably admit they have not been the best years.
“We’ll look forward to, hopefully, some better results and the fans chanting his name - as well as that of other players - every single game.”
While promotion is Margate’s ultimate goal, Greenhalgh is aware competition will be fierce in Isthmian South East at the top-end of the table.
The new manager, who made returning 22-year-old winger Jordan Ababio his first summer signing, adding former Maidstone, Tonbridge and Folkestone forward Ibrahim Olutade yesterday, with more set to follow soon, said: “We’re definitely going to be competitive.
“We’re going to push to try and get into the play-offs. But, at the same time, we have got to be realistic.
“There’s a lot of good teams at the top-end of the table from Kent and there’s a lot of money.
“But I’m definitely looking forward to when the season starts - hopefully after having had a successful pre-season.”
Former Margate boss Reece Prestedge has joined Isthmian South East Sittingbourne’s backroom team.
Ryan Day has stepped down as a club director due to health reasons.
In a club statement this week, Gate chairman Ricky Owen said: “I understand Ryan’s reasons for stepping away, and I can’t thank him enough for all he has done - hours and hours dedicated behind the scenes.”
