A former Gillingham, Dover, Ebbsfleet, Ashford and Ramsgate midfielder has been handed his first managerial role as he takes over at Welling.

Lee Martin, 38, replaces Rod Stringer ahead of the Wings’ 2025/26 Isthmian Premier season, in which the club will aim to rebuild after National League South relegation.

“I’m making that transition from playing into management and I’m delighted to get it over the line,” said Martin as his appointment was announced on Saturday morning. “I can’t wait to get started.

“The rebuild has started. We’re ahead of the curve in terms of recruitment.

“We’ve highlighted some good players and the big thing we’re going after now is character.

“We want good characters around the place because we want to merge the players and supporters back together.

“The fans are fundamental to what we want to create here.

“By all accounts, there’s been a disconnect and we want them to feel a part of us so we can be one team together.”

Martin enjoyed a successful playing career, having started with Manchester United, making three first-team appearances for the Premier League giants. He also had loan spells with Royal Antwerp, Rangers, Stoke, Plymouth, Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest while at the Red Devils.

He made a permanent move to Ipswich in 2009 where he made more than 100 appearances over a four-year spell which included a loan stay with Charlton.

A three-year stint at Millwall followed before Martin also represented Northampton, Gillingham, Exeter, Ebbsfleet, Dover, Ashford and, most recently, Ramsgate, where he rounded off his playing career in style by helping the side to the 2024/25 Isthmian South East title.

It means Martin will face Ben Smith’s Rams and his former team-mates in the league during the 2025/26 campaign.

In their own statement, the Rams said: “We would like to wish Lee Martin all the very best as he takes up the position of manager at Welling United.

“Marts made 78 appearances for the Rams in two seasons, scoring eight goals for the club. The most memorable was, without question, the winning goal in our 2-1 FA Cup first-round win against Woking. He leaves us as a champion, having been a key contributor in our amazing last two seasons.

“All the best with the next stage of your career, Marts!”

He will be assisted by Welling-born midfielder Billy Bingham, who also enjoyed a good career at Dagenham & Redbridge, Crewe, Gillingham, Bromley and Faversham before a season away from the game.

On the style of play Welling’s new management team will aim to introduce, Martin said: “We want to have control of possession.

“We want to be aggressive, play through the thirds and create goal-scoring opportunities.

“We want supporters to be coming here excited to watch an entertaining game of football and one in which we score plenty of goals.”

Martin will meet supporters at a ‘Meet the Manager’ event at Park View Road with full details to come.