Former boss Simon Line has backed successor Lee Roberts to make a huge success of his second spell in charge of Market Drayton Town.

Line quit Greenfields last week in order to take up the hotseat at Zamaretto League side Hednesford Town.

But he was delighted to see Roberts – the man from whom he actually took over from at Greenfields almost five years ago – brought back to the club.

Roberts will be in the dugout for the first time tomorrow, when Drayton travel to Sheffield FC in the UniBond League division one south.

“I’m chuffed to bits for him,” said Line, who took Shifnal manager Delwyn Humphreys with him to Hednesford as his No 2 and has also raided Drayton for defender Grant Goodhead.

“Lee’s the most genuine man you could ever hope to meet and he certainly made my job much easier when I originally went to Drayton as his assistant manager back in 2003.

“He has a strong link with the town and enjoyed a great football career (playing professionally for Shrewsbury and Exeter).

“I’m delighted they have decided to appoint someone who won’t rip the heart out of things, and he’ll get all the support he needs from the lads.”

Meanwhile, Line admitted he was revelling in the opportunity to step up to a higher level and was enjoying the greater demands of managing Hednesford.

Roberts is in his second spell at the club after managing it immediately after it changed its name from Little Drayton Rangers.

Chairman Alex Mutch, who stressed that Rangers didn’t break down when becoming Market Drayton Town, said: “When the club changed its name, Lee did a fantastic job.”

• Line today made his second raid on Drayton by taking midfielder James Carvey, who has been absent with injury this season, to Hednesford, with Roberts agreeing to waive the seven days notice.

By CHRIS HUDSON