Brian Laws has backed his long term right hand man Russ Wilcox to be a success as the Cherries new assistant manager.
Laws handed Wilcox his first coaching job while the 47-year-old was still in his playing days at Scunthorpe, then took the former Preston and Hull defender with him to Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley.
Manager Lee Bradbury confirmed Wilcox as his new assistant at last night’s fans forum, and the pair took training with the Cherries squad at Canford School this morning.
Bradbury also did his homework on Wilcox, phoning Laws for his opinion on his new assistant during the interview process.
Laws said, “First of all you’ve got a terrific coach there, he’s well liked by players and staff alike. He’s incredibly supportive, and most importantly a top draw, highly qualified coach and assistant who can pass on his knowledge to the manager.
“His real strength is recognising situations that need to be changed. He’s got strong opinions but is very respectful towards the manager, and he will implement his ideas on the training ground. He will give full support to the manager, and his communication skills and work ethic are some of his major strengths.
“He’s vastly experienced and helped some quality players on their way, which shows his strength in working one on one with players. He will give them the mental support, as well as the practical support to improve.
“He’s had over four years experience in the Championship, knows the players and the team in that league, as well as League One, League Two and the Premier League. He’s got experience in all four leagues and you can’t buy that kind of experience.”
Laws worked with Wilcox for over a decade in three different posts, and feels the Cherries’ new assistant could become an important figure in the early stages of Bradbury’s managerial career. The former Burnley manager added, “One aspect I think, and I spoke to Lee about this, is that you’ve got to chose the right man. You need somebody you can trust, you can lean on and Russ certainly comes under that category.
“To be fair to Lee he’s done his due diligence on Russ, and spoken to numerous other people. That’s great to see because Lee is in the early years of his career and Russ will help him on his way.
“The key factors in any success is your right hand man. It’s a very lonely job as a manager and you need understanding and support. Who lifts the manager when he’s down? Usually it’s the assistant. Lee will have his highs, but when he has his lows, that’s when Russ is at his strongest.
“I spoke to Russ and wished him well. I’m disappointed to lose him but he’s so enthusiastic he just wants to work, he’s missed the day to day work with the players. I know he couldn’t wait to get back in. It’s my loss and Bournemouth’s gain that’s for sure.”
