Dagenham & Redbrige boss Lewis Young to call on an old master

TOP JOB: Lewis Young

By Neil Harvey

Lewis Young says he will always be grateful to Dagenham & Redbridge for giving him his chance in management – and his former Premier League assistant for helping to show him the ropes.

Just 48 hours after leading the team out at Millwall, caretaker chief Young was appointed permanent first-team manager at Victoria Road after signing a two-and-a-half-year deal.

And the 35-year-old’s first port of call was to bring in experienced coach Terry Connor – trusted assistant to Mick McCarthy at Wolves, Ipswich and the Republic of Ireland among others – as his assistant.

Young initially joined the Daggers in April 2023 as assistant to Ben Strevens after seven years playing at Crawley Town.

Humble

Since taking over as interim boss late last month, Young has overseen a 2-0 win away to Ebbsfleet, a 1-1 draw at Forest Green and the FA Cup defeat to Millwall.

On getting the nod to take over the role full-time, humble Young said: “I’ve been really lucky and fortunate in that the club have backed me in this short time.

“From the minute I stopped playing to this point, it feels like a bit of a whirlwind, but I’m really thankful to be a part of this fantastic club.

“It’s still a bitter sweet moment as it’s come in difficult circumstances with the manager losing his job prior, but that doesn’t mean I’m not equipped to now take the job forward and hopefully progress the team.

“I went out and got an experienced assistant manager in Terry Connor, someone with a wealth and breadth of knowledge in the game but also the experiences he’s had in the Premier League and internationals, gaining promotions and galvanising teams.

“Ask anyone in or around the group and they will tell you exactly how valuable that is.”