NEW St Austell manager Adam Castlehouse feels he’d have been ‘silly to turn it down’ after being named the new manager at Poltair.

Castlehouse, who has never managed at first team level, was part of the coaching staff at Dobwalls last season under Ben Washam and Brad Gargett as the Dingos defied the odds to finish third in SWPL Premier West.

Castlehouse takes over from Chris Knight after two mightily impressive seasons which saw the Lillywhites win the SWPL Premier West title and then establish themselves at Step Five in the Western League Premier Division, and also reach the Cornwall Senior Cup final in both years, each time losing narrowly to Falmouth Town.

Saints chairman Jason Powell feels they have the right man, saying: “The club are extremely pleased to get Adam on board.

“Following an exhaustive search for a new manager, we believe we have found someone with the hunger, desire and commitment needed to succeed at our level.

“Everyone involved at the club is looking forward to start of the season.”

Castlehouse hailed the size of the club and is delighted to be involved.

He said: “After speaking to Jason we arranged to meet the very next day, and as they say, the rest is history.

“You don't get the sense of how big a club is until you spend time there, and the number of fans we have is unbelievable, so that support is the main factor behind my decision.

“Another reason is the challenge it presents to me, my management team, and my players. Step Five is an attractive proposition on its own, and I would have been silly to turn it down!

“I'm excited about the season ahead.”

Castlehouse feels he’s ready to take the next step.

He continued: “I have been coaching/managing since my eldest son Charlie was seven or eight, and he is now 20, so I'm not new to the game at all.

“While my experiences are mostly in the youth game, I’ve learned a lot at Dobwalls.

“I enjoy coaching and I have coached many players over the years. What I find most rewarding is developing players. I believe that by making just small adjustments to their game, collectively the team gets better and better. I am a strong believer that any player is coachable and a player of any age can still improve by making the smallest of changes to their game. I take great pride in having been a part of the football journey for some very talented young players in the past with the likes of Dylan Jones (Norwich City), Tylor Love-Holmes (Truro City), Jacob Smith (Plymouth Parkway) and my son Charlie who is also now at Parkway.”

Castlehouse is still finalising his coaching staff, but has brought in Martin Marshall.

He said: “I am talking to a few people about various ways that they can get involved, but although I may be the manager by title, but the team I have around me are of equal importance.

“Martin will bring a great deal of passion as head coach, and as a close friend is someone who I trust implicitly.

“Finally, I would like to thanks Jason (Powell) for believing in me and giving me this fantastic opportunity, and to Ben, Brad and the committee at Dobwalls as they opened the doors for me into adult football.”