New Dartford player-manager Ben Greenhalgh on his role at Princes Park as captain Michael Olarewaju’s exit heads club’s retained and released list

Ben Greenhalgh is prioritising building a strong connection with fans over results at the start of his Dartford managerial tenure.

Greenhalgh, already academy boss of the Darts, has replaced Ady Pennock at the Isthmian Premier club’s first-team helm after two campaigns as player-manager at Isthmian South East side Margate.

While he admits the aim for Dartford - who were last in the National League in 2015 - has to be promotion, he believes that is more likely to come if the players and supporters are on the same page.

Greenhalgh said: “My main thing is the connection.

“We can talk about [trying to reach] the play-offs, we can talk about promotion, we can talk about what has and hasn’t happened. But for me, the first thing I want there to be is a connection with the fan-base.

“I’m not saying there hasn’t been one.

"But I want an incredible connection with the fan-base - one that I have always had, even while I have still been working here. We get so many fans coming to academy games because they want to support us.

“I want to increase that connection massively and show everyone what that’s about.

“Also, it’s a case of showing the players what it means to play for Dartford, showing the fans that these players have the same level of passion, of privilege and of drive to make the club succeed.

“If we get all of that right, we will be batting in the right direction and we will be at the right-end of the table.

“As everyone knows, as a club, we want to get promoted. There is no hiding away from that.

“But I want to get everything done correctly to put the club in the best position to do that.”

Playmaker Greenhalgh hinted he would play on next season.

The Darts only announced Greenhalgh as their manager, but he’s got plenty to