Steve Watson left Gateshead to join "League club in the making"

Watson has guided the Heed to eighth place in the National League table this season, but he surprised many in the north-east by deciding to move on and take charge of the Minstermen, who currently lie in the bottom six of the division below.

While Watson has been defying odds at the International Athletics Stadium, however, with off-pitch problems leading to a transfer-market embargo, he feels City boast an infrastructure that represents a better prospect of securing League football, regardless of the two clubs’ current respective positions.

Outlining his reasons behind the switch at his first press conference as City manager, Watson explained: “I had a great 15 months at Gateshead, and I’ve been through a lot that other managers might not have done, so that should stand me in good stead.

“They gave me my first managerial job, but I’m a very ambitious manager who likes to see progression and I got to the stage at Gateshead where I couldn’t see where that progression was going to come from. It was very difficult at times, especially over the summer when it looked like there might not be a Gateshead Football Club.

“We pulled a squad together and probably exceeded expectations and I don’t think I’d have wanted to leave Gateshead if we’d been in a relegation battle, so I’m happy that they’re just one place outside the play-offs with a good, young squad. But, when this opportunity presented itself, it was too good to turn down because, with the new stadium, I believe York City are one of two clubs at this level who are Football League clubs in the making.

“I can see a bright future and a pathway back into the League. That will take a lot of hard work, but I’m the type of manager who wants to roll up my sleeves and take such challenges on.”

Watson joins City with the club six points above the relegation zone and nine points adrift of the play-off positions but, while remaining realistic, he is refusing to rule out a “real dash” for promotion.

“This season is far from over and I believe there are some good players here who have lost their way a bit,” the ex-Newcastle and Everton right-back reasoned. “I’ve got to get that belief back into them and create a feelgood factor at the club, but you only get that by winning games.

“I worked with three of the players last season (Jordan Burrow, Macaulay Langstaff and Wes York) and know quite a few others with some still here from when I was at Macclesfield as assistant manager and we played York in the FA Trophy final. It’s easy to say the players’ ability exceeds where the club is in the league and it means nothing, but we’ve still got 17 games left, so can we make a real dash for it during that time?

“If that’s not to be, and we won’t accept that’s the case until it’s mathematically impossible, then I’ll still know exactly who will be able to take us to that next level the following season.”

Watson went on to confirm that tomorrow night’s North Riding Senior Cup quarter-final home clash against Redcar Athletic will now be regarded as a first-team fixture, as he looks to learn as much about his inherited squad as possible.

“The Redcar match has come at a really good time and we will be treating it as a first-team game,” he declared. “Maybe some players need minutes more than others, but the whole squad will be in and around the team.

“I’ll be in the dressing room and will pick the team, with (assistant-manager) Micky (Cummins) taking charge of the game from the dugout, whilst I watch from the stand.”