JIMMY DACK has expressed his delight at linking up with former club Crawley, and admits he’s relishing the opportunity to return to Rodney Parade.

Dack, County’s caretaker manager at the end of last season and assistant to Justin Edinburgh for three years at the Exiles, was confirmed as Crawley’s new assistant this week, working alongside new boss Mark Yates.

And the popular Londoner admits his soft spot for the club plus his good relationship with manager Mark Yates were two keys reasons for him returning to the club just relegated to League Two.

Dack, 43, said: “There are two reasons I took the job - one is I live in Surrey just half an hour from the ground and played nearly 100 matches for the club and have some good memories.

“The second is I was pleased to work with Mark Yates who is a good guy and it was an honour to work with him.

“He’s a hard-working manager who wants his teams to prepare to do as well as possible.

“It’s not going to happen overnight but once Mark Yates has stamped his mark on the team and brought in some quality, I would want to get promotion back to League One.

“It’s a rebuilding process. It’s a case of getting the confidence back in the team. You’ve got to get the best out of the team every game.

“We’ve worked with tight budgets and done alright with them. It’s a case of getting the players playing for the manager.”

Dack has also lifted the lid on why he opted not to take the County managerial position, having been offered a one-year contract.

He said: “I did four seasons at Newport and enjoyed it but the travelling was taking its toll. I was 4-4.5 hours a day in the car and needed a fresh challenge. I’m really looking forward to working at Crawley Town again.”

Yates, who himself was linked with the Rodney Parade hotseat before Terry Butcher was appointed, believes Dack will compliment his management style well.

“Jimmy Dack is going to be my number two,” Yates said. “I spoke to four people, some who I had worked with before and some who I hadn’t, and Jimmy was the ideal person for this role.

“He knows a lot about League Two and he has had a taste of being a manager in the last six months, so he has experienced that side of it and knows how I’ll have to think. I think that will stand us in good stead.

“We have always got on well and I just liked his infectious character. He’s a decent coach and I wanted someone with enthusiasm and drive to match mine, and I’m pretty sure I’ve got that with Jimmy.

“He is the perfect fit,” Yates said. “I will be down here 95 per cent of the time, but there will be times when I’m back home with the family but having someone 25 or 30 minutes away is just what we need.

“I think we will work well together despite us having never worked together in the past. He came down and we spoke and I just felt energised and felt like it was the right thing.”