Following receipt of over 20 applications, the Board held interviews with some potential candidates and made the decision to appoint the ex-Aston Villa and Walsall player.

Byfield’s style of fast, attacking football aligns perfectly with the club’s DNA and this together with the fact that he has had recent experience at Step 3 level with Stratford Town and a large book of player contacts, made the decision a straightforward one.

Chairman Richard Thorndike told http://www.alvechurchfc.club: “Darren was the obvious choice for us. His teams play football the way we want to watch it and he is the consummate professional. If you’ve never met him before, take 5 minutes to introduce yourself and very quickly you’ll see exactly what I mean.

“Trust me when I say this, Darren is destined for far bigger things and we’ll improve as a team and a club simply by having him around. An ex-pro with UEFA B, he’ll improve the younger players and also install a professionalism within the group. He is the perfect choice to carry on the great work of the former management team.

“Given the time of year, it’s vital that he gets to work quickly, and his first job is to meet with the senior players and work out deals to keep the ones he wants with us.

“We’re meeting with the players for an informal chat, a few beers and a bite to eat over the weekend so we’ll know exactly where we are early next week.

“I want to go on record to say thank you to the Walsall Wood Chairman, Justin Hodgin, who from the outset said he wouldn’t stand in Darren’s way if he looked to move higher up the pyramid. Class act Justin thank you.

“It’s time to get started now, cant wait!”

Stephen Denny