Hockaday has been credited with developing talent like Ashley Young

Forest Green Rovers have named Dave Hockaday as their new manager following the departure of Jim Harvey.

The 51-year-old joins from Southampton, where he was a coach after seven years at Watford running their academy at the request of Graham Taylor.

"I've been formulating plans because that's what you have to do," Hockaday told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"The slate is wiped clean for everybody and everybody's going to have to show me that they deserve a place."

"It's going to be interesting to see how the players respond and I want winners in my team and I'll be picking the winners."

Hockaday knows much of the Gloucestershire soccer scene well after six years establishing the first football academy in the country at Cirencester Town, from where he was head-hunted by Watford.

Taking over at the New Lawn is Hockaday's first job in management, but he is not worried at the prospect of stepping from coaching to being in charge of a team.

"I've managed for the last 15 years because that's what you do as a coach or an assistant manager, you're just not called a manager, it's just a tag," he said.

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"The time felt right and the opportunity arose, I had a chat with the people at the club and fortunately for me I impressed them enough for them to give me this opportunity and I'm really looking forward to the challenge."

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