New boss Andy Hessenthaler needs no introduction to Dover fans.

A combative midfielder on the pitch for the likes of Watford, Gillingham and Barnet, Hessenthaler had great success as Athletic’s player-boss between 2007 and 2010, winning back-to-back promotions to take Dover from the Ryman South division to the Conference South.

And after ending the 2009/10 season as runners-up in the second tier of non league, Hessenthaler returned to Gillingham as boss for two campaigns, steering the Gills to two consecutive eighth-place finishes in League Two.

A third stint at Gillingham followed two season later, this time as assistant boss, a similar role he held at Leyton Orient the following year, before being made manager at Brisbane Road in 2016.

Dismissed by the O’s later that same year, it wasn’t long before Hessenthaler was back in football, joining Eastleigh before the start of the 2017/18 season, initially as assistant manager, before taking over from Richard Hill as boss just eight months after joining the club.

Dover fans might well recognise the rest of the club’s new management team.

Darren Hare returns for for a second spell, this time as joint first-team coach, having served as number two during Hessenthaler’s reign as gaffer.

Hare, who is also Andy’s brother-in-law, was most recently in charge of Hastings United and also represented Dover as a player on two occasions.

Also joining as first-team coach is Nicky Southall.

Southall, who featured 31 times for Dover, played in the top four divisions of the English football pyramid, including 20 appearances in the Premier League for Bolton Wanderers.

The Middlesbrough-born midfielder also spent the largest part of his playing career with Gillingham and was most recently assistant-manager at Maidstone United, helping oversee their rise from the Isthmiam Premier division to the National League.

Welcome back to Crabble Andy, Darren and Nicky!