JOHNSON ON THE UP WITH DOWNES

GARY JOHNSON says his coaching team at Torquay United is now complete after bringing in Aaron Downes as his assistant manager.

Downes returns to Plainmoor after spending three years with the club from 2012-2015 making over 100 appearances.

The former centre-back has reunited with Johnson having acted as his captain in Cheltenham Town’s Conference title-winning side of 2016.

Downes has been coaching at Cheltenham since retiring this year, but jumped at the chance to re-join the Gulls.

“I’m very happy to have brought Aaron back to the club,” said boss Johnson. “I think people respected his energy and his enthusiasm and his commitment in his playing days. He’s very similar now in his coaching.

“He knows how I work; he knows what I’m looking for. I would have done it on day one if I could have but I wasn’t able to do that. In the end I’ve got the person in that knows my philosophy, my way of doing things over the last four years.

“That will help while everybody else is learning what I do in the meantime. I am really happy with the staff now – I feel it’s complete.”