HULLBRIDGE Sports have unveiled first team captain Rob Hodgson as their new manager after the recent departure of Mark Bliss.

Hodgson, 25, has been at Sports for four years but missed much of last season through injury and was announced as the club’s new boss on Wednesday evening at Lower Road in the presence of the first-team squad.

The club has also announced that right-back Aaron Hunwicks, 24, will take up the first-team coaching duties in support of Hodgson after three years at the club.

Existing physiotherapist Michael Barrett, who has been in the job for the last few seasons, has been kept on by the club.

Hodgson and Hunwicks have a hard act to follow, as Sports have made waves in the last few seasons – finishing fourth in the league last term to record their highest ever finish in the Essex Senior League and winning their first ever piece of silverware the previous year – lifting the Gordon Brasted Trophy.

But club chairman Andy Burgess said their “passion, enthusiasm and plans” made them worthy appointments, as coaches from higher divisions were overlooked in their favour.

“We were amazed at the response we had after Mark Bliss and Steve Tapley decided to step down,” he said.

“We had managers from various leagues and even some Ryman coaches with very good CV's contact us about the position.

“On the night Mark Bliss announced he was stepping down, Rob and Aaron approached us stating their interest in the positions. We felt it was only fair to listen to them during the interview process and we were blown away by their passion, enthusiasm and plans for the future.”

Hodgson missed half of last season through injury and has said he is “unlikely” to combine playing and management duties, while Hunwicks will still be able to play although the club are aiming to promote members of the reserves to fill his void so he can focus on his new role.

Burgess said the appointment was encouraging for players coming through the system, and said he believes they have the potential to follow in the footsteps of Bliss, who is now one of the club’s trustees.

“We wanted to keep as many of last season’s team together as possible,” he said. “We want our players to know there is a path to our first team and it won’t all be disbanded with another new face which we have seen with some sides last year.

“We want success as much as any other club, but we won’t put that success in the way of our ethics and the football family at Hullbridge.

“Rob and Aaron offer us that continuity. They not only ticked all the boxes during the interview process, they ticked the boxes of the ethos of the club by bringing our own through and offering them an opportunity, which is exactly what we did when we appointed Mark Bliss two seasons ago.”

One of Hodgson’s first tasks will be replacing defender Perry Dunn, ho has left Lower Road to join Aveley in the Ryman One North.