RYAN HAYES says Tony Burman is the only man to lead Dartford back to Non-League's top flight – and not just because the Darts boss has promised never to get rid of the mercurial winger!
The Kent club were relegated from the Skrill Premier on Easter Monday after losing 1-0 to already doomed Tamworth.
In the immediate aftermath Burman confirmed he wants to stay and he's since been backed by chairman Dave Skinner.
And Hayes agrees that the manager who guided the club to the top of the Pyramid from the Ryman North must take charge of their resurrection.
The 28-year-old told The NLP: “He's definitely, definitely the right man. I don't think would ever get rid of him considering where he's taken us from.
“When you look back at where we were, pretty much playing in front of 30 people, to being in the Conference in front of 2,000 it's where you want to be. The club has just had a bad season and everyone has to take a part of the blame. We've had some brilliant times and now we've got to deal with the bad times.
“I don't want a new manager coming in and getting rid of me! He said he would never do that and I've had to hold him to it a couple of times! But I know what he wants from me – he's like that with quite a few of the boys.
“I've never seen the gaffer like he was on Monday. When we lose it's bad enough but after relegation he was in a bad way. I spoke to him on Tuesday and he's still down. He's going to switch off for a couple of days and then get back to it.”
Hayes was a big figure in last season's eighth-place finish that meant some expectations were, perhaps unreasonably, high this term.
But the winger, who has been with Burman every step of the way when he was signed from Slade Green, has been a frustrated onlooker since November with a knee injury.
Now recovering from an operation, he's hoping to get back to his flying best.
“I saw the surgeon last Monday and he said I should be back running within two or three weeks,” Hayes added.
“We have to stick together. Whoever comes in or goes on the playing front we want to get back there.”
