I’m loving life being a pro again says Liam

NEW Southport boss Liam Watson is delighted to be back in full-time football. Watson has managed AFC Telford - where he lifted the Vanarama North for the third time - and Stalybridge Celtic since leaving Haig Avenue for the second time in 2013, but both roles came in a semi-professional capacity.

“I’m enjoying being full-time again,” Watson said this week. “I haven’t been fulltime in football since the mid-90’s. I feel a little healthier!

“I get up nice and early in the morning and from that point of view it’s been good.

“It’s nice to be around the players on the training ground and get that little bit of banter going and sometimes you don’t realise that you miss that side of it.”

Despite having been out of professional football for so long, however, the manager - who turned out for Preston North End during his playing career - believes old methods are still key.

“I’ve always took a lot of notice to what clubs are doing and their specifics,” he revealed. “What they do [in training] now doesn’t surprise me.

“I’m from a different generation but hard work is always going to be at the forefront of that. That’s all that matters.”

Watson also admitted he was surprised by the condition his players returned in following their summer holidays.

“This is a different generation of players now. Lads come back and they look after themselves a lot better,” he said.

“But that’s in life, and as a nation too, because we’re all learning what to do with our bodies and we’re in much better shape than 20 years ago.

“Now it’s a case of getting us through the first few weeks back, get into the fitness aspect as much as possible and then we’ll get into the way I want us to play this season.”