HEAD of recruitment Adam Drew is pleased with the calibre of players he has helped to bring in at Concord Rangers ahead of the new season.

The Beach Boys have been made to deal with numerous changes since a record-breaking National League South campaign, with Danny Scopes replacing Sammy Moore in the hotseat and a large turnover of players.

But Drew, who joined the backroom staff from Isthmian North side Heybridge Swifts last term, is positive ahead of the forthcoming campaign.

Drew said: “I’m absolutely delighted with the players we have signed.

“Obviously, with Sammy leaving and our success last season, we knew it was going to be a difficult summer keeping the core group together.

“It’s only natural that players follow the outgoing manager, but we also had the challenge of other clubs taking some of the boys due to how well they had performed last season.

“On a positive note, the response we have had from new players has been fantastic.

“Scopesy and myself, along with the other members of the management team, put a long list together and we started our meetings very early, which is something we wanted to do.

“We wanted to make sure that we had our core group assembled before our first pre-season sessions to give us plenty of time to work with them.

“We think we have a good mix now, but the plan was to get in plenty of hungry boys and I think we have done that.”

Although Drew has enjoyed success behind the scenes at Concord and Heybridge, he moved into the recruitment side of football at Maldon & Tiptree in unexpected circumstances.

And Drew is pleased to have been given an opportunity working behind the scenes in non-league football.

“I came into it by absolute chance,” added Drew.

“My main love was Southend United - who I followed with my dad for many years - but a friend of mine, Neal Myers, asked me to get involved at Maldon a few years back off the field.

“I tried to help with the odd player and I was lucky that the manager in charge at the time, Alan Kimble, let me have some input.

“But when Maldon’s Colchester United link came around, I knew my chances of helping on the football side were going to be limited.

“Shortly after, I was very lucky that Jody Brown gave me an opportunity at Heybridge Swifts.

“He said that he would like me to help him on the player side and it’s gone from there.

“He was brilliant to me, always listened to my opinions, got me involved in the player meetings, we travelled to games together and I learnt so much from him.

“I have been so lucky to have had some great times in a relatively short space of time.”