Newly-appointed Billericay Town manager Kevin Watson is delighted to be on board after a long interview process.

Town are sitting very close to the National League South relegation zone after a poor start to the season and have now made the decision to bring in the former Ebbsfleet United manager.

Watson hopes knowing some of the players will help get him off to a reasonable start.

“I’m extremely delighted, I think the owners went through the correct process, it lasted three to four weeks. Two interviews and a couple of phone calls,” Watson told the club website.

“Eventually to be given the job with 50 to 60 applicants, and good quality applicants, I was delighted to even get to the final half a dozen so to be placed in charge I'm very chuffed.

“I've been here a couple of times with other clubs. It’s well supported and has always done well in this league, and I obviously know some of the players that I've worked with before, which is a bonus.

“It’s incredibly well run, I've met the board and the guys that are in charge, and spoken to them at length on numerous occasions.”

The new boss has moved to bring in goalkeeper Harry Palmer, who he worked with at Ebbsfleet, and he knows he may have to add more signings.

“I think the squad is good, we have reasonable players, and I actually decided it was a job I would like to apply for.

“Everyone gets a fair crack of the whip. I think we do need to strengthen in certain areas, whether that is actually to go in the starting 11 or to go into the squad.

“Everyone needs a kick up the backside for us to move forward.”

His first match in charge ended in a 3-0 defeat to leaders Dartford as they slipped to a third loss on the spin.

Charlie Sheringham bagged a second-half hat-trick – the last of which came from the penalty spot.

Watson said: “I'm disappointed, I thought we defended well in the first-half. It’s glaringly obvious where the club have been and the players have been coming up short."

He pointed to fitness being an issue. “We did have a couple of chances just after half-time that I would have expected to go in, and then we got more and more ragged.

“We got caught on the ball, purely through being tired, and that is something we need to work on.”

Billericay Town will host Dulwich Hamlet on Saturday afternoon.