Former Chester and Stockport County boss Neil Young is the new manager of Altrincham Football Club.

The 41-year-old being chosen as the man to lead The Robins’ fight for a return to The National League following relegation at the weekend.

Altrincham chairman Graham Rowley said: “We didn’t advertise the position and still received well over 40 high-quality applications.

“Having interviewed the four top candidates, Neil was the one that impressed us most and we are delighted that he has joined us.

“We will give him our full support as the club looks forward to rebuilding after relegation”

Young will be joined at Moss Lane by trusted sidekick Gary Jones, the former Tranmere Rovers and Nottingham Forest man will once again be his number two.

The duo enjoyed a superb run of success as the management team at Chester culminating in winning the division that Altrincham now find themselves in.

While at Chester, Young and his team lost just 23 of his 153 games in charge, leading the club to three successive league
titles, rising from Unibond Division One to the top tier of non-league football.

Champions

In 2013, Chester were crowned champions of the Conference North losing just three games all season.

With just four current players contracted to the club, in Shaun Densmore, Jake Moult, Simon Richman and Sam Heathcote, Young outlined his plans regarding the rest of the playing squad and the process of bringing new faces to The J. Davidson Stadium:

He added: “There are four or five of last season’s squad we will be offering terms to, and I have already spoken to two of them and arranged to meet them later this week.

“Incomings depends on the answers I get from the boys we’re talking to, but there could be up to 10, because I envisage a squad of 18 or 19 senior players, ideally, with the option of then using the loan market, if need be, or any good youngsters coming through.”

Relegation

Young is fully aware that, despite relegation, several of last season’s squad will be wanted by other teams, he also outlined the
type of player that he and Jones will be looking for.

He added: “We will be looking for players that can lead by example, leaders are becoming increasingly scarce.

“They seem to be in short supply these days, compared to bygone years, but we need to find them.

“I don’t want to make any rash forecasts, but what I do want, between now and the start of next season, is to ensure we have a competitive, committed football team the supporters can rely on to put a shift in every single game”