MATT Cavanagh is excited to take on his new role as Silsden's joint-manager alongside Luke Lavery, and the pair could be a real dream team going forward.

After Danny Forrest's departure to become assistant manager at Guiseley, Cavanagh and Lavery have been promoted from the club's reserves/under-23s into the top job at the NCEL Premier Division side.

Asked about working alongside Lavery again, former Barnoldswick Town stalwart Cavanagh said: "You want people around you that you trust, like Luke.

"He's very strong on the man management side of things and recruitment, whereas I'm very hands on and do a lot of work on the training field.

"It's a good balance and it worked well with the reserves side. We had a positive season (winning Division One of the West Yorkshire League) so we won't be changing our style too much."

Forrest had a good relationship with Lavery and Cavanagh, with the latter saying: "Obviously it was disappointing when Danny left, but it was positive for him that he made that progression into a good job with Guiseley.

"Luke and I want to carry on from the foundations he's left, but there's no point in standing still, we want to keep moving.

"It's a good chance for Luke, myself and the backroom team, and while it's personal progression, I have played at this level with Barnoldswick before."

Cavanagh added: "I'm not nervy about the step up, more excited, as football's football to me.

"Wherever Luke and I are, we'll have a plan, culture and standards we want to set.

"I've worked under and with some very good people and I've learnt from them."

Cavanagh is only in his early thirties, but a combination of an ACL injury and heeding his coaching calling means he has gone into that side of things early, having also previously worked as an assistant manager at Barnoldswick before joining Silsden.

He said: "I'm actually having another operation in September, so I've just stuck to playing a bit of cricket, and amateur Sunday football with my mates at Sandy Lane.

"I couldn't keep up with the work needed to play semi-pro, so my last match at that level was in 2018.

"But I kind of went straight into coaching after my injury, and learnt a lot under Danny Craig actually, who's Barnoldswick boss again now.

"I teach PE at a school too, so I do see myself as a leader. Coaching is something I saw myself as being good at, and it's a way I can help others."

Another real leader is Silsden defender and their new assistant coach Shaun Airey, who played with Cavanagh at Barnoldswick.

The new joint-boss said: "Shaun is someone very close to me, and he has a lot of experience in North West Counties and Northern Counties East League football.

"He can use his experience and knowledge, and the success he's had, to help guide the lads. He's good around them too."

Airey may help some of Cavanagh and Lavery's former reserves step up to the next level too.

Cavanagh said: "We only won one of the four trophies we were going for. But we had a great run in the West Riding County Challenge Cup, but goals change games, and it wasn't meant to be in the final.

"The lads took information in from us all season and there is a pathway for them.

"A few of them will get their opportunity in pre-season to claim a shirt in the first team, and they can show their quality against other quality players."