JOHN Schofield feels his experience as a Football League manager means he can offer hands-on support and understanding in his new position as assistant to York City boss Russ Wilcox.

The Barnsley-born 50-year-old guided Lincoln City to the League Two play-offs in 2007, achieving the club's highest league position since 1999 and racking up the highest number of league wins for 24 years.

But Schofield suffered the sack just two months into the following season and reckons his highs and lows in the top job make him qualified to advise Wilcox as he embarks on his third campaign as a manager.

"Everybody thinks they can just step up and become a manager but, until you have walked in those shoes, it's a bit different to what you might expect," the former Doncaster and Mansfield midfielder reasoned.

"I understand the pressures they are under whether results are good, bad or indifferent because, even if you're winning, there's a demand to keep that going and speculation about clubs looking at your players.

"A lot of people don't see the hours managers put in either, so it's the rest of the staff's job to take away as much of that pressure as we can."

Despite having that taste of management, Schofield has stuck to assisting positions since, but explained that he is only satisfied in that role if he is plying his trade for somebody he respects and who is ready to welcome his input.

He has worked under Martin Allen at three different clubs, including during Gillingham's promotion season of 2012/13 and he has now been reunited with Wilcox after the pair combined to take Scunthorpe up to League One from the same division 12 months later.

"I've been an assistant or first-team coach for a long time now, but you're only comfortable in that position if it's as part of a team you want to be in," he said. "I have a great relationship with Russ and working under the right manager makes things a lot easier.

"With him, you are more than just an assistant manager. You contribute and your ideas are taken on board.

"You're not just saying yes and pretending everything's all right if it isn't, because that doesn't help anybody and that applies to the rest of the staff too. Somebody is always welcome to step forward and put across their suggestions.

"Richard Cresswell will be contributing in that way too as a first-team coach and everything will be taken on board. Russ very much wants to know what all his staff thinks and I will contribute towards tactics and team selection.

"There are no secrets with him. He ultimately makes the decisions but he allows you to get anything off your chest, express your thoughts and offer advice.

"He's not one of those who says 'we're doing it this way or that' and that makes for a good working relationship. We will talk on Saturday night and Sunday morning about the areas we want to improve so, come Monday morning, we've got a plan in place for the week."

Schofield went on to suggest that his similar personality to Wilcox will help when the latter has to delegate some of his responsibilities, adding: "We are very similar and are both enthusiastic coaches.

"It's very important that the manager has somebody he can trust to put on sessions and is as bubbly and bright as he is. That gives him the chance to step back away from it.

"The players don't always want to hear the same voice day in, day out. Likewise, neither of us will hesitate to step in and offer our thoughts while the other person is putting on a session."

Despite his willingness to rule by consensus, Wilcox never shies from making tough calls too, according to Schofield, who said: "Russ is a very good man manager, who is a good listener and is always looking to try and improve himself and his staff.

"But, while he takes on board a lot of ideas, he isn't scared of making big decisions, which is a massive part of being a manager. He's also got a lot of tactical nous and instils a never-say-die attitude by getting his teams to play until the final whistle."

Listing his specific responsibilities at Bootham Crescent, Schofield ventured: "My first role is to support the manager and help him.

"That can be by putting on training sessions, sorting out game plans or discussing tactics. In the early part of a week, it will be up to me to drip feed into the players how we will be approaching the next game so they have an idea when the manager then puts that into practice.

"I will also be the buffer between Russ and the players and a sounding board for any unrest. If they're not in the side, they can come and sit down with me and, if I speak to them, then nine times out of ten, they will eventually agree with what we are doing after a second person has explained why."

City's players will return for a testing day in two weeks time on June 25 and Schofield confessed that he cannot wait to get his teeth into his new job.

"Moving on to a new chapter is always exciting," he enthused. "Within a fortnight of a season finishing, I'm always ready to get back to work and I've been spending a lot of time sifting through players who have become available.

"I've also been thinking of sessions we will be doing in pre-season with a new audience to work with in terms of the players."

As a former Doncaster team-mate of Wilcox's in the mid-1990s, Schofield also reckons the early seeds of their management partnership were sewn at the South Yorkshire club.

"Looking back now, we were both of that management mould," he recalled. "We wouldn't accept second best and always worked hard to win games and better ourselves.

"We also demanded the same from others but, while we could dish out the verbals, there was always a constructive spin on that and some encouragement."