HEWORTH ARLC are backing new boss George Elliott to belie his youthful years and be a hit as player-coach.

The former York City Knights winger has taken the reins at Elmpark Way from Neil Horton, with the team now a second week into pre-season training ahead of the Yorkshire Men's League campaign.

Elliott - tipped for a big future in his teenage years as he represented England youth in both rugby codes and progressed through Leeds Rhinos' academy to the fringes of the Super League giants' first team - is still only 24 and has no previous grounding as a head coach, but club secretary Ken Sykes was not worried by such inexperience.

Said Sykes: "It's not a concern. He's very enthusiastic, he's got some good experience as a player, and he's also doing a sports science degree at York St John University, so he has plenty of theoretical knowledge.

"He's also signed on for a Level 2 rugby league coaching course so he's quite well-qualified in training and fitness techniques, and I think he's already working the lads quite hard."

Elliott, who played 43 times for York from 2012 to 2014, scoring 19 tries, will be assisted by former Heworth playing stalwart Phil Sturdy as team manager, while the club also have a new chairman in Peter Ulliott.

It effectively means another new start for the Villagers, the former National Conference League big-guns who are rebuilding in the Yorkshire Men's League.

This will be their second season down in the lower league, having dropped out of the NCL a year ago. They finished third in division two last term under Horton, who has since called it a day due to new work commitments as a leading golf club greenkeeper.

Sykes explained: "Neil did a good job for us but he's got a good job and a new role that involves lots of travelling so he felt he could not give the time that the post at Heworth needed, which is fair enough.

"We're starting again in some respects and we've brought George on board as player-coach.

"We'd had contact with George and were looking to bring him in to be involved in some shape or form anyway, and when we found Neil was not continuing, it changed things for us.

"Training started last Tuesday and we've had some good turnouts. We're optimistic. We had a decent season last year and we will see how we go and try to improve on that."

Sykes added of the club's hopes of one day returning to the NCL: "We've got a plan and we're hoping in time to get better and better and ultimately be able to get back to where we were previously, but it's a long-term strategy, and hopefully George can help us on that path."

A club statement added: "Heworth would like to thank Neil for all his time and efforts over the last year, which has been without a doubt one of the most difficult times for the club.

"It is something that coach George Elliott and newly appointed chairman Pete Ulliott intend to work hard on, to get the club back into the prestigious National Conference League."