If Witham Town's players aren't excited about working under new manager Mark Ashford, then they should be.

Ashford has been appointed as boss at the Village Glass Stadium following the departure last month of Adam Flint to Bishop's Stortford.

The new man at the Witham helm is excited about the opportunity ahead and with a wealth of coaching experience behind him, he is someone who the Town players can benefit from working with.

Ashford is a former Stansted FC manager, has coached at Billericay Town and Bishop's Stortford and was also assistant boss at Bowers and Pitsea, but his most recent role has been assistant manager at another Bostik League division north side, Heybridge Swifts.

The UEFA A-qualified coach said it was a tough decision walking away from Swifts after the success he helped them achieve last year, but the prospect of managing at a club like Witham was one that had enthused him.

"I'm very excited by this opportunity," said Ashford.

"It would have taken a lot for me to walk away from Heybridge Swifts as I have been very happy there.

"They had an exciting season last year and I'm confident they will do well again this year; they are a club who are doing well on and off the pitch.

"So to walk away from that, it would have to be a project that I really believe in and this certainly is.

"The youth philosophy of the club is excellent, with the way they develop young players.

"That is doing things the right way for the long term and that really appeals to me.

"I have a UEFA A coaching licence; there are only about 200 people who have that in the country and most of them are in full-time football.

"It's a qualification you need to have to coach in the Premier League, but there would have been no point in me investing my time and energy in getting that not to use it.

"I'm very passionate about football and if there's one promise I can make to any Witham Town footballers then it is that they will become better players working under me.

"I work hard with the players, I am passionate about doing that and that all fits in with what Witham Town want to achieve."

But it's not just the players that Ashford is looking forward to working with and he feels Witham Town as a club is a mutually good fit.

He added: "I have met up with (chairman) Mark (Nicholls) and people at the club and I really feel it is a good relationship.

"It's crucial to have that between a manager and the club and as soon as I met them I really liked them.

"I just knew that I would get on well with them; they are people I can work with and they obviously feel the same because they have given me the job as manager.

"I'm really excited and can't wait to start working with the players.

"I promise them all that they will become better players."