New Northwood manager Dean Barker exuded confidence and enthusiasm as he discussed his arrival at the Isthmian League South Central club, with preparations stepping up a notch as he gears up to lead his new side into his maiden campaign in charge.

The Woods, who shuffled sideways from the Southern League back to the Isthmian League after eight years away, confirmed Barker’s arrival from Wingate & Finchley last month.

Leading the Blues’s very successful Under-23 side to the Bostik Isthmian League Development North Division title last term, the 34-year-old combined that with a first-team coaching role under the guidance of former West Ham United defender Keith Rowland.

Prior to that Barker spent two seasons as manager at Cockfosters, a team where he enjoyed a cult status as a player and was a record breaker. A prolific striker in his heyday, he smashed several club records during his time with the north Londoners.

He has since described the transition to the dugout as something of an inevitability. He simply needed the opportunity and one arrived when Cockfosters, the Spartan South Midlands League outfit, reached out to their club legend in 2015 and broached the subject of a possible return to Chalk Lane.

That step into management came after he ruptured his ACL four years ago. By his own admission he “wasn’t really the same player when he came back”, but not before racking up the goals for a number of sides in north London and Hertfordshire in a stellar playing career.

He said: “I think I scored over 300 semi-professional goals. I enjoy non-league football, I was brought up in non-league football – my Dad used to take me all the time – so it was a natural progression after I played to go into management.

“I had maybe a year out of the game and Cockfosters approached me and asked me if I would be interested to manage and it’s obviously been a pretty successful few years since then.”

Rejecting the easy option

Having made his mark on the pitch, it did not take long for Barker to make an impression off it. Indeed, he has a knack of improving teams and players in a managerial career that, while still in its infancy, has hitherto been fruitful.

And he recognises that Northwood represents an exciting new opportunity at the right time in his career. Having experienced the coaching side of things in the Bostik Premier Division at Wingate, the lure of becoming a number one again at senior level was too tempting to resist.

“I managed step five at Cockfosters and then went to Wingate & Finchley who are step three. Keith and Aron [Sharpe] wanted me to stay at Wingate next year. The easy option would have been to stay at Wingate really.

“But when Ian [Barry, the Northwood chairman] and Alan [Evans] got in touch I went down to the club for an interview. I was excited about managing at step four and I know Northwood are a good club with a good non-league history that has struggled in the last few years, so hopefully we can bring a few smiles back to people’s faces this year.”

Northwood will be looking to find stability following a difficult couple of years. The arrival of Simon Lane 12 months ago was set to herald an exciting new era for the Woods, only for Lane to disappointingly jump ship to league counterparts Egham Town in January in what represented something of a sideways move.

Before that, Mark Burgess spent four-and-a-half years at Northwood Park and earned three top-10 finishes on one of the smallest budgets in the league, even winning the Middlesex Senior Cup in 2016. So it can be done.

Recruitment is already at the halfway stage as the club continues to cast their collective eye over a few hopefuls following the commencement of pre-season training on Monday. And with over a dozen players already committing their immediate futures to the Woods, things look promising.

The 34-year-old insists he is not fazed by the challenges ahead and nor is he shying away from the budget constraints he, too, will face at the club.

However, he is confident that he can deploy his range of contacts, accrued over nearly two decades in the game, to good effect, and even picked out two new signings to keep a close eye on.

“Ben Pattie was a professional at QPR and has scored a lot of goals, so he’s one to look out for. [Goalkeeper] Luke Sheldrick was in the Hampton & Richmond squad who lost in the Conference South play-offs and has played for Wealdstone as well.”

Barker added: “I want to sign 22 so they can push to be in the 16. I’ve got good contacts so I’ve been able to bring in some good players.”

Defender Karl Stevenson, 23, and 22-year-old forward Emmanuel Rowe – once of Crawley Town – became the latest to put pen to paper this week, arriving from Hanwell Town and Hoddesdon Town respectively, with nine further signings expected.

The Woods have had plenty of success stories regarding their former players in recent years. Who can forget, either, the likes of Jay DeMerit or Scott Fitzgerald who once called Northwood home? Niko Muir last week became the latest former player to step up, joining Hartlepool United via Hendon, following in the footsteps of former club captain and current Portsmouth striker Oliver Hawkins.

Investing in youth

Barker is a young manager with a good coaching CV and arrives at a club who have long prided themselves on the developmental pathways they provide to younger players at all age groups.

They don’t shy away, either, from opening doors for up-and-coming managers being, in many respects, your archetypal community club.

Ultimately though, a focus on youth development is central to his management philosophy – partly through necessity but also a willingness to provide a pathway for young players to progress.

Might the new Northwood boss be about to unearth a future gem or two then? You wouldn’t put it past him.

“That’s the one thing when you’re at Cockfosters with no money, and at Wingate with a small budget, and at Northwood who haven’t really got any money, you have got to invest in youth,” said Barker.

“What we’re looking at is boys that maybe people don’t know too much about and making them non-league players. They’ll show what they can do.”

“I like my teams to score goals, being a striker myself. I like us to play attacking football and to entertain people really. There’s nothing worse than going to a football match and it being 0-0.

“I know there are certain times when you have got to defend and be a bit more defensive but I like my teams to score goals and play attacking football.”

With the FA Cup and FA Trophy draws to come next Friday, quickly followed by the release of the Isthmian League fixtures, attentions will quickly turn to the beginning of the 2018/19 season and with it Barker’s bow in the Woods’ dugout.

Inevitably speculation will build about whether Northwood can match their 10th-placed finish from the last time they lined up in the Isthmian League – 2009/10. Barker certainly thinks they have a chance but is keen to ensure expectations remain at realistic levels for a side whose resources dwarf some of their rivals.

“Having spoken to people, Hayes & Yeading will be the favourites to win the league,” Barker said.

“But there’s some exciting teams. I know Hertford Town quite well, I know Cheshunt quite well, and it’s good that FC Romania have been promoted so that’s another local game and they get good support.

“It’s going to be a tough job. Budget-wise we have one of the smallest budgets in the league, so it’s going to be a tough challenge. If we can finish in the top ten this season then I think that would be a fantastic achievement.”