Stowmarket Town have announced Richard Wilkins as their new assistant manager, writes Alex Moss.

The 55-year-old needs very little introduction to followers of non-league football in Suffolk, having been a manager of Bury Town, Leiston and Needham Market over the last 20 years.

Before moving into management, Wilkins enjoyed a long career as a player in the professional game, making more than 400 appearances across spells with Colchester United, Cambridge United and Hereford United.

A two-time promotion winner while in charge of Bury, Wilkins was most recently at Needham, where he was manager up until February 2020.

Wilkins arrives at Greens Meadow to fill the vacant assistant manager's role, following the departure of Dale Brooks, and will be Stow boss Paul Musgrove’s number two for the 2021-22 season.

“I’ve battled against some of his teams when I was younger, and as you get older you admire more just what Wilks has done in football,” Musgrove said.

“I don’t say this lightly when I say he’s probably the most successful manager ever in Suffolk.

“He wasn’t in a job and doesn’t live far from me. We had a good chat. We’ve always got on well and he just seemed like a natural fit.

“He’s only going to make us stronger. He knows Potts (Danny Potter) well from their professional days.

“Hopefully he can help us continue what we’re tying to do. We’re doing things the right way and he'll only enhance that.

“He knows Step 4 and Step 3 really well. Fingers crossed if we’re lucky enough to be offered promotion, he’ll add to what we have here.”