'The biggest thing..' - Ex-Newcastle United star opens up on plans after landing first manager role

Former Newcastle United goalkeeper Rob Elliot has insisted he will keep pushing Gateshead forwards after being named as permanent manager of the National League club.

After stepping up to take interim charge of the Heed following Mike Williamson’s departure to League Two club MK Dons in October last year, the former Republic of Ireland international enjoyed a successful maiden venture into the dugout. A difficult January transfer window saw the likes of key forward Stephen Wearne and on-loan goalkeeper Archie Mair leave the club and Elliot was forced into a hasty recruitment programme that laid the foundations to a historic end to the season.

Gateshead claimed a National League play-off place for only the second time in their history but we denied an opportunity to challenge for promotion into the EFL after their lease agreement at the International Stadium failed to meet the criteria to play in League Two. However, Elliot and his squad would shake off their understandable disappointment by lifting the FA Trophy for the first time with a penalty shoot-out win against National League rivals Solihull Moors at Wembley last month.

With a return to pre-season training now just two weeks away, Elliot has insisted the negotiations over a permanent deal for both himself and assistant manager Louis Storey have not disrupted their plans for the club’s short and long-term future.

He told The Echo: “I think that (planning for the new season) hasn’t really stopped to be honest. We’ve been working full-time, we always knew this was going to happen, it wasn’t a case of us not being here, we’ve been in here everyday. It was nice to get it finalised and made official, it’s not really been at the forefront of everything.

“It was more about finishing off a hectic season last year and then sitting down and working out the direction we want to go in. I think the biggest thing was that we understand the club is even more united and we are able to reform in a weird way and consolidate with the strength and assets we have got and making sure the players and staff are all going to be on board.

“We have gone through what everyone is aware of in terms of the play-offs but we are coming out of the other side and one of the big things for me and the most pleasing reason to sign is there is a real hunger and appetite to go and put that right next year. There will be a lot of positive news over the next few days and coming weeks over the players and it was important me and Louis were the first ones to step forward and it shows the club is moving forward.”

With positive noises being made over a resolution to the lease issue that prevented Gateshead competing in the play-offs last season, there are now high hopes the new campaign can bring as much success and excitement. That is all a far cry from the troubles the Heed have suffered in their not-too-distant past - and Elliot believes the resilience they have shown throughout that period can stand them in good stead for the challenges they will face over the coming years.

He said: “The Trophy final was the best thing that could have happened to the club. It was great winning it but I think it showed, from my point of view, that togetherness within the group. It showed the club is about the community, it’s about doing it for the right reasons, it’s not always about the glory, and because of that, the by-product was winning a major tournament at our level and we saw all of the fans and the community out there.

“The people that came to Wembley, that outweighs what we get most weeks but it shows people out there care about the club and want to support the club. Hopefully going forward we can engage that more and have that connection to make sure we continue to grow that because the adversity this club has been through in the last five years alone, the biggest thing this club does is recover and make sure we do it the right way going forward.”