ANDREW Gale has recalled the moment he was offered the Yorkshire first-team coach's job by Martyn Moxon and admitted: "I was completely blown away."

Gale was a surprise choice to succeed Jason Gillespie, given his lack of senior coaching experience, and even more so following the admission that he was not one of the 16 applicants.

He has yet to achieve his ECB Level Four coaching qualification – he is Level Three – but that is on the agenda.

The 32-year-old had made the decision to continue his playing career until being called in to Headingley for a meeting by director of cricket Moxon earlier this month.

Gale confirmed: "I didn't apply for the job. What happened was Martyn contacted me and asked would I come in to have a look through the applicants with him.

"So I went and sat with him and he said 'look, there's some very good applicants here, but the guy who I really want to take it, I'm not sure he will'. I said 'oh, why's that, who is it?' He said 'you!' I was completely blown away.

"I had a long chat with him and we went through the pros and cons of it all. I asked for a little bit of time to consider because it obviously meant I'd have to give up playing.

"I took three or four days before accepting the role. That was a little over a week and a half ago. It's all been a bit of a whirlwind."

Gale quite rightly reflects on his impressive playing career with a great deal of pride.

A left-handed batsman who bleeds Yorkshire, he started out with the White Rose age-groups at ten before making a first-team debut in 2002 and going on to score 20 first-class hundreds and many more runs beside across all three formats.

He has also played for and captained the England Lions as well as being in charge of Yorkshire's recent County Championship glory years.

"It was a tough decision to give up playing because I've had so many good years," said Gale.

"I look back on my career fondly. I'm someone who's not had the most talent or ability but I feel like I got the most out of myself by working hard, having a good attitude and being passionate about Yorkshire.

"I'm proud of what I achieved. To win the County Championships were definitely a highlight but to play with some of the greats of the game is up there as well.

"It's seven years since I stood overlooking the ground (at Headingley) covered in snow being unveiled as the new captain and I feel like I've blinked and that's just gone. I've enjoyed every minute of it all."

Now that Gale is coach and not captain, things will be much different for him at Headingley.

He joked: "It felt weird sitting at a desk, that's for sure. My days will be very different to what I've been used to since I left school.

"Relationships will also change with the players as well – but my advantage is that I know the players and believe I'm a very good man manager. I don't worry about that.

"I'm inexperienced as a coach but I've got a good support team who have a wealth of experience to help me."