Lewis looks to make his mark
Hopes new ground will impress too HAYES & YEADING
MICKEY Lewis is looking to put his own stamp on the Hayes & Yeading United squad after taking over as manager.
Lewis is the new man in the Beaconsfield Road hotseat after being confirmed as Garry Haylock’s replacement following the club’s relegation to the Southern League.
He moved quickly to make his first signing of the summer by bringing in former Swindon, Torquay and Basingstoke forward Lloyd Macklin last week.
Former Hayes legend Terry Brown is now in charge at Basingstoke and is taking the club full-time for next season, with Macklin one of the casualties of the move.
Macklin, still just 24, was something of a prodigy during his teenage years and became Swindon’s youngest ever player when he took to the field against Brentford in 2007.
His signature is just one of a raft of new players set to come through the doors at the SkyEx Community Stadium this summer.
He said: “I need to speak with Tony and Tristan and we’ve got lots to discuss moving forward. We’ll get some more games put in place for pre-season and start recruiting some players.
“I know some of the players already. Like anybody, I want to put my own stamp on things but I’ll be taking advice on the squad from those two as well. It’s an exciting time.”
Lewis is hoping the lure of the new ground, which United are hoping to finally move into for next term, will see others follow Macklin’s lead.
He said: “We hope that the new ground will help to attract players. People only need to come down to see the training facilities and they’ll be impressed. We hope that is a bit of a selling point and we think we’ve got good staff here too.”
Sean Cronin has already confirmed his departure from Hayes & Yeading and a new centre-back is thought to be high on Lewis’ wish-list.