Chris Bass Jr has spoken of his pride at being named caretaker manager of the Isle of Man FA national men’s team and is targeting a gold medal at this year’s Orkney Island Games.

The 40-year-old will be supported by assistant manager Matthew Woods and coach Rick Holden, both of whom were involved in the Manx team that clinched gold in the Gotland Island Games back in 2017.

Speaking to football correspondent Paul Hatton after his first training session with the squad at the Bowl on Wednesday, the new gaffer commented: 'My intention was always to be involved in whatever capacity I could be for the Games this summer anyway, so to be in this role I'm very proud, excited and honoured.

‘It was totally unexpected, totally unplanned. It was never my intention to be in this role for the Island Games in the summer.

‘Blane stepped back unfortunately due to work commitments and other things, so last week we had a meeting with [IoMFA president] Tony [Mepham] and [vice-president] Shaun [Gritton].

‘It’s something I really wanted to do in the future, so why not now? I put my hand up and said I'm prepared to take it.’

Speaking about having Woods and Holden involved in the setup, Bass Jr added: ‘As I say, it was totally unplanned, I never had any intentions of taking over as a caretaker so there was no sort of coaching staff behind me ready to go as such.

‘Woodsy being a leader, having been involved in this group for a long, long time and as captain, he’s a good spokesperson for the group and he was a perfect choice really to keep him involved and have him in the capacity he wanted to be in.

‘He stepped back from being the captain on the playing side and is just involved in supporting me now in the role of management and things like that.

‘In terms of Rick, he is someone that came from totally left field. But he's in a really good place at the moment so I don't think there's anyone better that I could ask for to help.

‘I've not been in a role like this before, but to have someone like Rick to be able to coach and lean on and ask advice for on anything in terms of football, there isn't anyone better with the experiences he's had.

‘He's won gold before with Nick [Hurt] in Gotland, so let's go for that again hopefully.

'We just had our first session and I was so pleased with the quality, the intensity and the work of everybody. That's how I want everything to go forward.

‘A lot of potential in the squad already that Blane’s put together.

‘I have said to them already in the changing room that I will be changing the squad slightly, looking to bring other people in because I have to look at it from my eyes and not the previous coach's eyes.

'I want the best squad that I can possibly get going forward so we can get a gold medal in the summer.’

Bass Jr’s first match in charge will be a friendly at the Liverpool county ground against Halewood Apollo FC on April 26.