New FC United of Manchester manager Neil Reynolds has not ruled out raiding his former club Bamber Bridge for their best players

The 41-year-old was officially announced as FC United of Manchester’s new manager yesterday after taking charge of Brig for the final time on Saturday.

His last match in charge did not go according to plan as Brig were thumped 4-0 at home by Basford United – their first league defeat at the Sir Tom Finney Stadium in nearly a year.

Reynolds admitted the events of the past few weeks and the intense scrutiny surrounding his future may have contributed to the subdued display by the team at the weekend.

But he has no doubts about the qualities many of his former players have – and he is certain they could thrive higher up the football pyramid.

“I have placed players on contract at Bamber Bridge because obviously I did not want them taken from me,” Reynolds said.

“I built that team and I’d like to think that they played for me as well as representing Bamber Bridge.

“I’d like to think that those players would want to play for me in the future, given the opportunity. Can I go back for Alistair Waddecar, Regan 
Linney, Brad Carsley?

“No I can’t because they are on contract and the type of money to buy them is not available at FC United.

“But would I want to work with those players again? Too right I would.

“They are incredible talents, but there are other players who may feel like they may want to come with me.

“There are players there who are on non-contract who could quite easily play at National League North level.

“I am talking people like Matt Lawlor, Kieran Charnock, Michael Potts, Ryan White, Macauley Wilson, etc.

“Listen, I can’t say I am not going to go back in for them or I am.

“All I will say is that I think some players may want to follow me, there’s a real trust and bond with the players and they like the way I have run things at Bamber Bridge.

“But I have to have a certain loyalty to Bamber Bridge and there’s some very good players already at FC United.

“My sole goal is certainly not to deplete Bamber Bridge. I don’t want to make Bamber Bridge into FC United.

“But then a new manager may come in and want to bring his own players in so you just don’t know what will happen in football.”