Ambitious Glen Driver will weigh up any contract offer from BetVictor Southern League Leiston in the summer when he decides on his next managerial step.
The 46-year-old returned to Victory Road only four months ago in November after leaving National League South side Braintree Town with the club in promotion contention.
Before Storm Dennis hit last weekend, he'd led a miraculous turnaround of a Southern League Premier Central side who'd only gathered eight points from 15 games and were bottom of the division when he arrived but are were eight clear of automatic relegation.
So happy to be back home @leistonfc easiest decision I've made in my football career. Massive job on our hands, we will embrace it and work very hard to make it a successful journey, #weareaclub #weareback #footballfamily ??? pic.twitter.com/wya47FJySD
— Glen Driver (@drivers39) November 11, 2019
Leiston, unsurprisingly, are keen to keep the man who took them to the play-offs in 2018 and have offered him a three-year deal but the Blues boss is aiming high and it may be elsewhere.
“When you've had a taste of Step 2, you want to go back there,” Driver told The Non-League Paper on Sunday, having joined the Iron last summer.
“I was disappointed to leave Braintree, I went in and worked really hard. I had one player on contract when I took the job on. The budget was cut at Braintree and it kept getting cut. We left them fifth from top and it's no secret where they are now.
Entertain
“Leiston picked the phone up and said come and keep us up. My reputation went before me, really, because I have the club at heart, I played there, managed there three times now and I saw it as a challenge.
“We've had some unbelievable results and the side is only two months old. It's very pleasing, a lot of people wouldn't have touched it with a barge pole but I saw it as a win-win for me.”
A month ago, Driver's side won at league leaders Tamworth and have also taken points off high-fliers Nuneaton Borough and Royston Town.
They have lost just three times in their last 12 league games thanks to some astute additions such as goalkeeper Sam Donkin, centre-back Jake Hutchings and striker John Sands.
“It's taken me by surprise how well they've gelled together,” Driver added. “It has been a rebuild but one we felt would take it forwards rather than backwards.
“It's all about the players, I've never really made football about myself, but I think now I have to start putting myself first a little bit.
Targets
“I want to be involved with a football club that recognises what we're doing. We put bums on seats, we entertain, we go with a bit of youth and give people an opportunity.
“I want to manage a football club that matches my ambitions and at the highest level I possibly can. Leiston appreciate what we've done in the past and what we're doing to date.
“Will Leiston be able to match the ambitions I've got for myself? There's jobs I could have gone for but I'm committed to the club until April.
“Hopefully, we can keep the club at Step 3 and then re-evaluate in the summer and see if Leiston can fulfil my ambitions.
“I want to be a full-time manager, that's my goal. I feel I've done my apprentice as a young manager building sides, I'm going to strive for bigger and better things.”
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As well as exclusive match reports and pictures from all of Saturday's fixtures in the Vanarama National League, the BetVictor-Sponsored Isthmian League, Southern League and Northern Premier League, The Non-League Paper's live coverage extends all the way to Steps 5 and 6.
Image courtesy of @drivers39/Twitter
