Maynard proud to become full-time boss with Notts

'I've walked into a job where everything's in place'

Stuart Maynard is proud to have gone from juggling being a part-time non-league manager and telecommunications engineer to being Notts County boss.

The post is his first full-time coaching job, having worked for BT for the past 19 years.

"I'm excited to solely focus everything I've got on football," Maynard said.

When asked by BBC East Midlands Today what it took to be a part-time manager in England's fifth division, Maynard said: "It's very tough.

"With football you have to give your whole commitment and be all in - it was a lot of nights out watching games to understand players and trying to improve. It's 24/7.

"And that's what's got us excited - what we achieved at Wealdstone, basically training three hours a week, to now have everything at our disposal. There is no excuses for anything.

"It was always the ambition to get into full-time management. We knew it wasn't an easy step, but also knew that when we did step into full-time we wanted to be coming to the right club and the right project.

"We are really looking forward to working in this environment."

Maynard has been joined at Notts by Matt Saunders and Craig Saunders, who worked as his assistant and first-team coach respectively at the Stones.

They join a Magpies side that are chasing a second successive promotion, having regained their status as the world's oldest Football League club by winning last May's National League promotion final at Wembley.

'Proud to be given opportunity and trust'

Stuart Maynard left Wealdstone after three years in charge

Maynard's Wealdstone were twice well beaten by the Magpies last season - which included a 6-1 thrashing at home - which prompted him to call them the best side he had seen in the National League.

"I did say it," Maynard smiled.

"For me they were the best team in the league by a country mile. And they were, if you look at the footballing stats and the performance levels. Them and Wrexham performed to such a high level in the league.

"It's a credit to the football club that they have kept going.

"And that's what excites us - to work with this level of players. Once we get our level of detail into them, how they can transform it and make it even better, our philosophy and structure.

"I'm hugely proud to be given the opportunity and the trust that Chris and Alex [owners Christoffer and Alexander Reedtz] have put in me and Matt to take this role."

Maynard says his approach and style "fits straightaway" with Notts County's and added that he has "walked into a job where everything is in place" after promotion-winning head coach Luke Williams left to take charge of Championship side Swansea.

His tenure is set to start with a home game against League Two leaders Stockport, although Saturday's game will be subject to a morning pitch inspection because of freezing conditions.

It is just part of a testing first month in the job, with Notts due to face each of the top four sides - which includes Nottinghamshire rivals Mansfield - in his first six games.

"We are looking forward to Saturday and playing a team a the top of the league," he told BBC Radio Nottingham.

"When you come to Notts this is a club that should be involved in those games, you want to be involved in the big games that really matter, and in the next four to five weeks they will really matter to the football club picking up key points."