Mark Whitehouse can't wait to get going in new Worksop Town role

Whitehouse took over the vacant position after Luke Jeffs was named as the new assistant manager – following the departure of Craig Rouse – as part of manager Craig Parry’s philosophy to promote from within.

The former Pontefract Collieries defender has been part of Parry’s management team for around five seasons after his days as a goal-scoring left-back came to an end.

“I am excited, but I am also honoured from Paz [Craig Parry] for asking me in the first instance,” he said.

“I think we have worked together for the last four-to-five years, so we have built up that trust over the past five seasons, and I am very happy that he has seen enough in those years to progress me.

“At any club you need stability, and I do think that we have got that here.

“We have a good amount of knowledge and experience from playing, and we always bounce ideas off each other like I have said to get where we need to be.”

With the long lay-off from competitive football, player’s fitness may come into question over these vacant months.

Whitehouse says he is looking forward to a new season – with the current campaign looking likely to be declared null and void – and has backed his abilities to get the squad as fit as they were before the season was halted.

He continued: “Fitness is massively important and wherever the season goes now, I don’t think it will be a fully stretched season if it is to continue.

“I think we can look forward to the start of a new season and place a lot of trust and have that progress in place and organisation to get the lads back to where they need to be again.

“If that is in terms of another preseason – there is going to be one at some point – then we will have them where they need to be.

“It has been a rollercoaster in terms of our first year at Worksop, and we have had quite a lot of ups, and a few downs, but now we can get to a place where we rest the clock stabilise and push on again next season.”