New Hythe manager Ira Jackson wasn’t convinced he stood much chance of getting the job.

At 28, Jackson felt his age would probably go against him when he applied to be Cannons boss.

But new chairman Andy Nanda looked beyond his birth certificate and entrusted the former Folkestone man with the task of leading the club’s revival following relegation to Southern Counties East.

“To be fair, I kind of applied flippantly,” said Jackson, who ended the season coaching at Sheppey.

“If the chairman wants to do something different, then I might get a call; if he wants to do the usual, then I won’t get a call.

“I had a conversation with him not too long after the season finished and shared my ideas, and he shared that he’d done some background research on myself and my playing history.

“He said he wanted to have a further conversation, which went well, and we took it from there.

“I’m probably going to be the youngest manager in the league and maybe the league above as well.

“But I decided at the start of 2024 that playing football was over for me.

“I didn’t want to do it any more, I wanted to move in a different direction and that was coaching and management.

“I took the leap of faith and carried on working hard and took whatever opportunities I felt would be the best to take my career in the right trajectory.

“That’s why I ended up starting at Corinthian 23s and then Sheppey came in.

“I had a couple of offers and a couple of interviews, Hythe being one of them, and it was the best project for me.”

Jackson is building a new squad at Reachfields, with an emphasis on youth.

Both he and chairman Nanda feel that’s the best way to get the club moving in the right direction again.

“I think the chairman is trying to do something different and I’m also trying to do something different within football,” said Jackson.

“I want to show that trusting young players, developing young players, building a philosophy and building long-term is better than just bringing in a bunch of players on a load of money and hoping it works.

“I want to prove I’m good at what I do rather than just betting on players who have done stuff five years ago.

“I don’t quite agree with that and that’s one of the reasons I stopped playing football because people were trusting what I used to do and I was trying to tell them I can’t do that any more.

“I didn’t have the same drive, energy, fitness levels or mentality towards it, so it was time to hang the boots up.

“Now, with management, I have the drive, the passion, the vision and the philosophy and that aligns with the club I’m at, so it seems like the perfect fit.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited for a pre-season before and that’s saying something because two of my pre-seasons were as a professional footballer.

“My mantra for life is I want to help people get from where they are to where they want to be.

“The chairman’s afforded me with the opportunity to do that on a management scale.

“It’s a privilege and an honour to be holding the reins at such a big club within Kent and to have the opportunity to take it to where it’s supposed to go.

“It’s a great opportunity and I’m excited at the challenge.

“It is going to be a big challenge and a lot of change but I met the fans the other day and it was beautiful to see the buzz and the energy around the club.

“Part of my vision is that I want there to be an excitement around the club, I don’t want it to be a thing where people are assuming another relegation’s coming.

“To know people are excited is important.

“They’re maybe not as excited as I am because I know about all the players we’re looking to bring in, and they don’t, and I’m not going to tell them yet.

“But it’s definitely exciting and it’s a great opportunity for me to kickstart my management career.”