By David Richardson
Former Woking boss Anthony Limbrick never doubted he would land on his feet. The Australian-born 34-year-old has moved into the Football League with Grimsby Town as assistant manager to promising boss Michael Jolley.
Limbrick took his first steps into management with Woking last season, but was sacked with five games remaining before the Cards were eventually relegated on the final day.
His reign had started so promisingly in Surrey. Woking found themselves as high as third in the opening months and then they produced one of their great FA Cup nights winning 3-0 at Bury, of League One.
After his own playing career was curtailed due to injury, Limbrick helped develop the likes of Luke Shaw, Calum Chambers and James Ward-Prowse at Southampton's esteemed academy before moving on to West Ham.
He doesn't regret stepping up into men's football last summer, and didn't contemplate returning to the comfort of academy football.
Dynamic
“I think in any experience you always learn a lot of things and I certainly learnt a lot at Woking,” he told The NLP on Tuesday after a sea of meetings preparing for the new season.
“I really enjoyed my time there and I'll make sure I take as much as I can from that experience. It's a good club, great people and everyone was really good to me there.
“I knew I could add good value as a coach, an assistant or as a manager so I was open to any role. I was determined to stay in competitive, men's football having had a taste of it last season, which I really enjoyed.
“Grimsby is a really big club and it has a good feel about it having stayed up last year, it seems like it's moving in the right direction. I'll be working for a very good manager in Michael.
“I've always worked full-time in football, I think it suits me to be in a full-time environment and hopefully that can help get the best out of me as well. I'm really looking forward to it and it's good to be back in the game.”
Limbrick will be working under Jolley, who took 15 points from ten games which preserved the Mariners' League status after taking over from Russell Slade in March.
Jolley has followed a similar path to Limbrick, but only after he gave up being a fixed-income trader for HSBC having studied economics at Cambridge University.
He began volunteering as a coach at Crystal Palace in 2004 when he was 27 and left four years later to join the Stirling University Football Club.
He returned to England after he was convicted of unknowingly having sex with a 15-year-old, which he was cleared of, and had a brief spell as Lincoln's first team coach in 2012.
He joined Burnley's U23s in 2014, working closely with Sean Dyche, before being offered his first job in management with AFC Eskilstuna, a Swedish club operating in their top flight for the first time.
“I've known him (Jolley) for a while, over the years, having coached against each other and we'd kept in contact,” said Limbrick. “We've had similar coaching backgrounds. I was glad to get the call from him. We share the same beliefs in how we play and the vision for Grimsby. We want to put together a team with good energy, and we'll be looking to play a really attractive and dynamic style.
“He did a good job last season keeping them in the League. He needs people to implement what he wants and I feel I'll have a good input in that.
Culture
“I've come in to assist and coach as much as I can. I'll be on the grass every day. That's what I love doing, working with players and making them better.”
Limbrick is used to relocation after leaving Tasmania in 2007 to try and play professionally in England. He'll move to Grimsby from East London in the coming weeks, eager to integrate himself with the community.
There is no doubt about his talent as a coach and perhaps his first management job came too soon. He will have a future in the game and the Blundell Park job presents an opportunity for a fresh start and more experiences at a sleeping giant in the depths of the ‘92'.
“I want to get in and amongst it up here with the fans and the culture. They're unbelievably fanatical about the club,” he added. “I have faith in my own ability to coach and manage players and staff. I thought I would get back in soon and it's good to know I'm in somewhere in pre-season and ready to get cracking.”
*This article originally featured in The @NonLeaguePaper which is available every Sunday and Monday
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