Daryll Knights eager to repay Stourbridge faith

Bignot, the former Solihull Moors and Grimsby Town who has more than a decade of coaching experience, was most recently assistant manager at Shrewsbury Town and has been in talks over joining the Glassboys after the Easter weekend.

The 49-year-old managed Knights at Solihull and is seen as the ideal figure to provide advice and guidance to his one-time forward, who is eager to impress having taken the reins at the War Memorial following the dismissal of Leon Broadhurst and assistant Stuart Pierpoint on Sunday.

Former Glassboys goalkeeper Lewis Solly and the club’s under-18s boss, Richard Ball, are also stepping up to assist.

Knights, who played up front for Kidderminster Harriers and Newport in a career which has spanned nearly two decades, has initially been placed in charge until the end of the season.

The 35-year-old said: “It is a massive opportunity. Fair play to the chairman, Andy Pountney, for giving it to me.

“They could have gone with someone more experienced but they have trusted me and I will repay that with hard work

“It is strictly in the dugout now. I really want to commit to this. I see my future as being a coach or manager, so this is the next step.

“I’ve had 20 years of playing and I think this is the natural progression.

“It’s important I do well. It gives me the chance to show what I can do, to stamp my authority and my coaching philosophy on the team.”

Knights has been on the club’s books as a player since 2020, with his last appearance coming in a 1-0 defeat to Redditch on New Year’s Day. He has managed the club’s academy since 2022, has been working through his coaching badges and is soon to complete his Uefa B licence.

“If you had asked me two years ago if it was something I wanted to do, I would probably have said no,” said Knights. “But I have really enjoyed the academy role.

“It has really opened my eyes to what it can be like. It is the next best thrill for me, after playing, seeing the buzz of what the boys can do with what you implement on the training ground. I have a real passion and drive to be the best I can be as a coach.”

Stour currently sit 16th in the Southern League Central Division, after what Knights described as a “whimper of a season”.

He said: “I spoke to the chairman on Monday morning. I was close to Leon and Stu as well, so it wasn’t nice to see that happen.

“But we have to move forward now and not dwell on the past. We want a strong end to the season and that is what we are focused on.

“The plan for the moment is the next eight games, aiming to put some smiles back on faces and pick up as many points as we can.

“It has been a whimper of a season, if we are being honest. We are underwhelmed where we find ourselves in the league table. We just want a positive atmosphere around the place.”