Dover Athletic’s new manager Paul Barnes on his new role at Crabble as the Whites begin pre-season with wins over Sevenoaks Town and Margate

New Dover coach Paul Barnes is excited to work with “club man” Jake Leberl.

Barnes, a former Margate, Ashford United and Welling United player who previously also managed Dulwich, Corinthian-Casuals and Hastings, arrives ahead of the Whites’ new campaign in the Isthmian Premier.

He will sit in the dugout alongside manager Leberl, a popular former Dover player, and Mike Sandmann.

“Jake knows exactly what the club stands for,” Barnes said. “If you had to pick a club man, it’s Jake.

“Jake will not let any player go out on the pitch in a Dover Athletic shirt without understanding what it means to play for the club.

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“I look forward to working with him.”

Barnes expects to become Dover’s first-team coach, but he is not too concerned about the role he will take on at Crabble.

He said: “As long as the team is performing, I am not valuable.

“Jake just asked me to join.

“Mike is down as assistant manager – so I guess I’m a first-team coach. I’m quite happy with whatever, in that respect.

“I’m big on analysis, so I’ll definitely contribute to that. It’s part of my own motivation and ethos.

“Mike has been a great help in helping young boys progress into the first team.

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“I think that’s something we want to do to develop young guys.”

There is a wealth of exciting young talent at Dover who have come through the youth teams under Sandmann, including teenage striker Archie Hatcher. Hatcher spent time on trial with Blackburn this summer.

Barnes said: “We have guys like Luke Baptiste – I’m looking forward to working with him – and George Nikaj is someone who can push on because he’s young, like Henry Young.

“There are some really nice guys there that I would like to work with.

“If we can develop these young guys, that’s great.

“I know the fans want to win games week in, week out, but if we can turn two or three of these guys into professionals it will be a massive achievement for the club.”

The Whites have been relegated twice in three years, having previously been an established force in the National League.

“I know the club well,” Barnes said. “It’s a great club.

“You only have to look around the stadium to see how good the facilities are. It has a great reputation, so why wouldn’t I want to work at a club like Dover?

“I definitely feel like I can contribute to what Jake wants to do, that’s for sure.”

And for now, Barnes is hoping to help Leberl bring back the good times, with defenders Harrison Pont and Jeremiah Gyebi among the latest to commit to signing.

Regarding the club’s main objective for the coming season, the coach said: “It’s about consolidation for the club.

“Everyone knows the problems they’ve had, but now it’s just about being competitive and showing where the club wants to go in the future.

“We just have to show that Dover is an attractive place for every player.”

The Whites began their pre-season with a 2-1 win over South East Isthmian outfit Sevenoaks at the weekend, with Luke Baptiste scoring on trial.

Barnes said: “It was a good starting point.

“People have to remember it was only day three of pre-season. The signed boys showed exactly what they signed on Saturday.

“Some of the trialists have done themselves a world of good as well. It’s exciting.”

The Whites host Ramsgate on Saturday (kick-off 12.00) and travel to Whitstable on Tuesday.

Dover won 2-1 at Margate on Tuesday thanks to goals from a test player and Gyebi.

The Whites are hosting an open training session tomorrow from 7pm to 8.30pm at Crabble, admission is free.

Deal has started preparation for the season with three consecutive wins.

Striker Rory Smith scored the winning goal in injury time against Whitstable last Tuesday, winning the game 2-1 after summer signing Josh Vincent scored in the first half.

Defender Vincent also scored in the 3-0 win over Canterbury City on Friday after Owen Wilkinson scored twice on Friday evening.

Steve King’s team also defeated Kennington 3-1 on Monday night.

On Saturday 7 September they will play the FA Trophy against Ashford United for the first time since 1974. On Saturday 3 August they will also play a home game against Roffey in the extra preliminary round of the FA Cup.