Garry Hill has announced Ian Hendon will be the man assisting him following his appointment as manager of Vanarama National League club Ebbsfleet United on Thursday.

The 46-year-old former defender will take his place alongside the manager and existing Fleet staff in the dug-out as Cheltenham Town are first up in the Emirates FA Cup First Round for the new-look management team.

Hendon won the FA Youth Cup and was part of the 1991 Charity Shield-winning squad with Tottenham Hotspur before a career that saw him achieve the 500-appearances mark in the Football League.

The former England under-21 international had a five-year association with Leyton Orient, during which time he was part of the side that sent Ebbsfleet (then Gravesend) out of the 1993/94 FA Cup at Brisbane Road, and also featured heavily for Notts County, Northampton Town, Sheffield Wednesday and Barnet, winning the Third Division title with County and the Conference with Barnet.

He became Barnet manager in 2008, moving on to Gillingham as Andy Hessenthaler’s assistant in 2010 before spells as Sam Allardyce’s first-team coach at West Ham United and then first-team manager at his former club Leyton Orient.

Ed Miller