FORMER Grays Athletic manager Jody Brown has admitted he does have regrets about his departure from the club, after he returned to football following his nightmare at Welling.

Brown left Blues last December after he was offered the chance to manage in the Conference National with Welling, having only linked up with the Mill Field club that summer.

He was a hit at the club, with his free-flowing style of play winning plaudits from supporters and fellow managers and, following his dismissal at Welling after only 73 days in which they took one point from nine matches, he has admitted he may have made a mistake in leaving.

He says he became disillusioned with football and even considered quitting the game altogether after his sacking, before becoming National League South side Concord Rangers’ number two last week.

“It has been difficult,” he said. “I was disillusioned with football after what happened at Welling as it was not only as a footballing decision but a career one as well. I sacrificed everything and after nine games it was over.

“I believed in myself and I felt I was doing things the right way. That must be the case as, in regards to recruitment, they have tried to keep every player I signed.

“It was a poisoned chalice in the end as I was out the door so quickly but it was an opportunity I had to take. I didn’t want to look back in 10 years time and wonder what if had I turned it down. I didn’t want to leave Grays but it was a great chance for me.

“I can’t say I have no regrets as things went so badly at Welling,” he continued. “Looking at how things went maybe I should have stayed but I needed to take the chance to manage at that level.”

The UEFA A qualified coach said he believed Grays were capable of challenging for promotion a week before he left the club, and so that proved with Blues only missing out on a play-off spot by one point after a superb end to the season.

And he said he was so pleased to see Grays continue to thrive after he left.

“It was really difficult leaving Grays,” he said. “I built the squad and I felt my methods were just starting to implement themselves. I think the squad needed a shake-up and the team was looking good.

“Apart from Kenny Beaney and Joao Carlos the rest of the squad was new so when I told them I was leaving it was emotional as I really enjoyed my time there.

“I am so pleased to see them doing well under Mark. It was a shame to see them just miss out on the play-offs but all in all they have made progress and that is exciting.”

Brown said he was offered a number of management and coaching roles in the past four weeks, including jobs in the National League South and Ryman Premier League.

And he said he had even considered walking away from football for good after his Welling nightmare.

“There were a good eight or nine weeks where I thought that was me done,” he said. “But in the last month my phone has started ringing and I have had some offers but I felt making the move to Concord was the right one.

“My life is in transition at the moment. I worked in consultancy before and that is what I am trying to get started again.”