New Margate manager Andy Drury speaks on his appointment and his departure from Whitstable Town

Andy Drury says the opportunity to manage a higher-league club was too good to turn down - revealing he got the Margate manager’s role at the second time of asking.

Drury was appointed as Jay Saunders’ successor at Isthmian Premier Margate, just hours after Saunders had been appointed as the new boss of National League South Tonbridge on Monday.

Saunders had been in charge at Hartsdown Park since 2019 and former Football League midfielder Drury revealed he held talks about taking the Gate hot-seat prior to Saunders’ appointment.

But fast forward three years and Drury has left Whitstable following their relegation from Isthmian South East to link up with Velocity Trophy finalists Margate.

The 38-year-old revealed: “I had discussions with them before Jay took the job a couple of years ago.

“Hopefully they were suitably impressed by me back then. Yes, I was surprised [to get the Gate job] but it’s a nice surprise and I believe in myself as a manager.

“Hopefully, over the next six weeks, I can build a decent team and we can have a successful side.”

When asked if it had been a tough call to leave Whitstable as they return to the Southern Counties East Premier for the 2022/23 campaign, Drury replied: “In some ways, yes, in some ways, no.

“It’s an opportunity to manage two leagues higher.

“Whitstable is a lovely club but it was just an opportunity I couldn’t turn down to manage a club like Margate.”

Drury, who is no stranger to Step 3 football having last term been Cray Wanderers player-assistant manager and played for Folkestone, explained just how quickly things had moved as Saunders left Margate and he was appointed.

He commented: “I got the call on Monday and it was all sorted pretty quickly. I’m really delighted to be