New Whitstable manager Will Graham says he “will not sleep” until he creates a side the club chairman and supporters can be proud of.

The 30-year-old was a surprise choice by the Oystermen board to succeed Jim and Danny Ward after the brothers opted to return Ryman League, Division 1 South rivals Ramsgate.

The experienced coach, himself a former Ramsgate player, had not managed before being promoted from first-team coach under the Wards and admitted: “I am happy and grateful to get the opportunity.

“Have I stood on a Ryman League touchline as a manager? No but I’ve been involved in coaching for many years and have spent time at clubs like Dover and Margate – now is the right time for me to make my mark on the game.”

Graham faces a tough baptism in the role after Town finished a record eighth last season and having seen the majority of the starting XI, including skipper and top scorer Ian Pulman and star keeper Luke Watkins, quit Belmont to follow the Wards to Southwood.

Graham said: “It’s a tough job. We’ve had the most successful season the club have ever had and they are big shoes to fill but I believe my coaching was a big factor in what happened last season.

“We have lost a lot of our team and experience but Kane Rowland has signed on and I’m hopeful I’ll be able to keep a number of fringe players from last year’s squad, plus I’m talking to Nick Treadwell and hoping Aaron James will stay.

“The chairman has backed me and said I will be given time to build a squad here. This is not a one-season thing – we have a three-year plan in place. The club don’t want an experienced manager and team that’s just going to leave after a season – they want to build something here.

“I won’t sleep until I build a team that mirrors the effort and support the fans and the chairman put into the club.”