Leighton Town have chosen former Hemel Hempstead Town and Ayelsbury boss Mark Eaton as the man to take charge at Bell Close next season.
Eaton has taken over the post from Craig Bicknell, who was sacked earlier this month after an incident at the club’s Player of the Year Awards.
Eaton has a strong managerial history behind him, but could have turned professional as a youngster at Northampton Town, though a double-compound fracture ended his playing days as a teenager.
Beginning his managerial career in 2008/09 with Aylesbury United, Eaton went on to join rivals Aylesbury FC, where he took charge for three years.
He then briefly took over at Hemel Hempstead Town, but he could not prevent the Tudors from finishing in a relegation spot in the Southern Premier Division, and they parted ways.
But after a few years away from football building up his own business, Eaton felt now was the time to get back into the game.
Following three years scrapping against relegation, vice-chairman Iain McGregor said he and the Leighton Town board believe Eaton is the man to lead the club towards the right end of the table.
“We interviewed five other candidates and Mark was the stand-out man,” he said. “He’s got the right amount of experience required at this level, he knows a lot about the league and the area and about the club, having faced us with Aylesbury in the past.
“We hope he can lead us to where this club deserves to be, and that’s in the top half of the division.
“We’re not here to be scrapping around the relegation zone, and with Mark in charge, we hope he can encourage some of the local lads back to the club and get us back up the table.”