THE man who will be leading Great Wakering Rovers reserves in their foray into under-21s football next season has backed the project to be a success.

Steve Southgate took over the Rovers reserve team in January, in their final season in the Essex Senior League Reserve Division, and has led them to a creditable fourth in the league, with third-placed Barking only a point ahead of them, following their 2-2 draw at the London side on Saturday.

And Southgate is now setting his sights on a smooth transition into the Ryman One North under-21 League at the start of next season, after club chairman Tony Butcher decided the best way for the club’s youngsters to progress was in this alternative format.

“I am excited about this team,” said Southgate, 44. “This team is so young and there is a lot of talent in the side. We had five 17-year-olds in the squad at the weekend and I am trying to bring in more players from the Eastern Junior Alliance side in preparation for next season.

“We have the likes of goalkeeper Charlie Huntley, who has been in the first team squad in recent weeks, and he is one that will kick on. We have some very exciting talents and the players are showcasing that every week.”

Southgate is an academy lead youth coach and scout at Colchester United.

And the only match he has lost was an 8-0 reverse against East Thurrock United last month, in which many first team regulars turned out for Rocks.

And Southgate said his side still took plenty away from that experience.

“John Coventry was using it to sharpen his first-team squad up after a bad performance, while we were a team of teenagers. We learned a lot from the experience and we have kicked on since then.”

Steve Roberts, former development coach at Tottenham Hotspur, and Rob Polkinghorn, a coach at Chelsea, will be helping Southgate lead the under-21s next term, as they compete with the likes of AFC Hornchurch and Grays Athletic.

The move will also allow first-team manager Dan Trenkel to watch the second-string, with all reserve XI matches coinciding with the first team’s games so far this term.

The under-21 league will allow both sides to arrange matches around first-team encounters, while Trenkel will be an interested spectator.

“It is great for me,” said Trenkel. “It is a real relief as we have wanted to do it for a while and it gives the team’s young players a good platform to build from.

“We have youngsters in the first-team already and I know this move will see more of them push for a place in the squad.

“At the moment if we need a player we may have to bring one in from outside the club, but as I can watch the young players now I can draft them in.

“It is an exciting time to be at the club.”