Margate player-manager Ben Greenhalgh on new coach Tyrone Sterling and their opening pre-season friendly at home to Tonbridge Angels

New Margate coach Tyrone Sterling will fit perfectly into the club’s management team, according to player-boss Ben Greenhalgh.

Sterling has linked up with Gate’s coaching set-up for the new Isthmian South East season after he retired last term.

A respected figure at Hartsdown Park, Sterling enjoyed a distinguished playing career, which included spells at Margate, Cray Wanderers, Dover and Bromley, as well as playing internationally for Grenada.

But the 37-year-old will now move into the dugout where he will support Gate No.2 Adam Flanagan, fellow coach Elliot Leveson and goalkeeping coach Owen Kallmeier.

Greenhalgh said: “It’s a brilliant fit.

"Elliot does a lot of homework for us, which is massively helpful. As for T, with his defensive skill-set, we can massively use that.

“He has always been a coach. He runs a coaching company [called Dynamic Coaching, based in Sidcup].

“We’re all trying to be as professional as possible. It’s quite easy to just go through the motions - and that can still work - but T already has come up with some brilliant ideas.

“The most important thing is he’s going to be massively respected because of the career he has had.”

Sterling’s new coaching position was announced by Greenhalgh at last month’s fans’ forum.

“Everything went really well,” said Greenhalgh. “We got a lot of feedback from fans and some brilliant comments, and that’s the kind of relationship that we want.

“I think they’re noticing we really want to have that connection. I said to T - because he was doing his first session as a coach at the time - that he should have been in the room for that!

"The room just erupted [when it was announced Sterling was rejoining].

“I look at it two ways. Firstly, you’re a brilliant person but,