Introducing our latest addition to the management team: Danny Lee. Shaun Saunders was quick to add Lee and Lee Cole (confusing, we know…) to his ranks, both arriving with a healthy CV featuring experience and expertise. But for now let’s talk about Danny, as we spoke to the gaffer’s new #2 to gain insight into his past.

So Danny, how does it feel to be at Whitehawk?

Yeah, really good! We’ve got the first few sessions under the belt, it’s been interesting! Some new faces: them getting used to me, me getting used to them but yeah, it’s really good to be here!

How long have you known Shaun for?

I’ve known Shaun [Saunders] quite a while, we’ve spoken a few times about me coming down and working with him, and this pre-season we sat down and worked it out… and here I am!

Would you be able to give us a flavour into your coaching career that has brought you here?

I started off coaching when I came out the film industry, and I went through my coaching badges and started to work in professional football and non-league football in various capacities: men’s football, women’s football, boys’ and girls’ football.

I got offered a job abroad, which was a good job, an attractive job, but the only thing that let me down was my academic profile so I went back to university to do a foundation degree in coaching, I did a BA degree, then got that thirst for knowledge, so I did a master’s degree in coaching and now I’m on a PhD, all coaching based!

And it was from Three Bridges that you departed to join the Hawks?

Three Bridges is my local team. When I came back after I moved out to China on a coaching placement, I moved down to Crawley, and was with Three Bridges for a couple of seasons.

A few aforementioned training sessions under your belt…how are you feeling ahead of the rapidly approaching league campaign?

It’s a league above of course following the promotion last year, so it’s going to be a lot of teams that we haven’t played over the past few years but Shaun has done his homework, the coach has done his homework so we’re not going into it blind, so we’re fully prepared in getting ourselves ready for a good campaign.