WEYMOUTH manager Brian Stock is confident he can repay the Terras’ “leap of faith” in appointing him to a maiden managerial role.
Stock, 38, is a former Bournemouth academy coach and Wales international midfielder, but embarks on his first full-time manager’s job with Weymouth.
Weymouth’s recruitment of Stock mirrors that of predecessor Mark Molesley, who had never taken a number one role before.
Stock told Echosport: “If you look at the success of Weymouth with Mark, and Bournemouth with Eddie (Howe) managers that have been very successful have taken a leap of faith.
“I’d like to think I’ll follow suit with that. I’m confident, I’m very ambitious and to be able to come into this environment in the league they are, with the support and volunteers, there’s a really good feel.
“I’m excited, I’m really looking forward to it. My ambition as a player was always to try and achieve.
“I could’ve carried on for one or two years but I looked into the coaching route.
“When I went into Bournemouth we spoke about what my development plan would look like across a five-year period.
“I asked to shorten that down to two or three years, purely because of the ambition and I didn’t want to think I was going to be at the club forever.
“This opportunity came along and I’m very, very grateful.”
Speaking after recording a 3-1 win over Havant in his first game, Stock said: “I’m very pleased – Havant are a very strong side and they’ve recruited very well this year.
“They’ll go close to promotion, I believe, in their league. They’re a very physical, strong, big side.
“We’ve got technical, gifted players but not necessarily do we have that athleticism, the height and strength they have.
“We had to move the ball quick and we started slow – the lads knew that when we came in at half-time.
“The biggest thing for me, and the one that pleases me the most, is the impact that the players had that came on the pitch.
“I said it’s a team effort and they showed that. We changed the formation and they had a massive impact.”
