Newport County boss Anthony Hudson is meeting several new signing targets in the next fortnight but has revealed he’ll be laying down the law to every single one of them.
And the commands of manager Hudson couldn’t be simpler as he tells his charges - if you move to the club, you move to the area.
The former Tottenham coach, who took the post at the end of last season as the Exiles finished on a high, has already taken the decision to have a full-time playing squad next term.
And he’s now committed to making sure those players are based in the south west after the Exiles’ last remaining London boy, midfielder Jamie Collins, joined Aldershot.
The Exiles will allow their travelling Midland players to continue their car sharing commute but will instruct any new recruits to relocate.
Hudson explained: “Some of the players we are talking to, some live far from where we are and they will be expected to either move or make plans for accommodation here during the week,” he said.
“Ones with family, if they wanted to go back at weekends I wouldn’t have an issue, but the focus all week must be Newport County.
“But it shouldn’t be an issue anyway. The players that we are talking to are good professionals and would want to do it right. There is no other way to do it really.”
Hudson won’t rush his recruitment, explaining: “Why do we need to have all our squad in place now?
“I want the main core to be in place by the start of pre-season, which means by June 30 I would envisage three or four more players being here.
“But the most important thing is getting the right players.”
Hudson was even prepared to be pinned down on what he thinks is the number of players the Exiles need to mount a title tilt.
“We are not going to have huge numbers, ideally for me we’ll be working with a squad of about 22 that will include some younger players and some players on loan,” he said.
“We need a really strong 14, 15, 16 players, we might not have the biggest squad but we can be better in other areas.”
Hudson admits signing players isn’t always straightforward.
“It should be obvious what positions we are looking to strengthen, but it’s not as easy as just making a call and it being done,” he said.
“It takes time. We are talking to players higher up and that means selling the club to them, getting them to come to us for less money and competing with bigger teams, or teams with bigger budgets.
“Craig McAllister was a great example of that, it took a long time but was worth the wait.”
Hudson has secured a place on a course to do his UEFA pro license, the most advanced qualification and a prerequisite for managing in the Premier League, Champions League or UEFA Cup.
That is significant in the sense that Hudson will be extremely hands on in training next season in tandem with assistant boss Lee Harrison and coach Wayne Hatswell. James Rowberry, who took over coaching duties from Matt Bishop when he left for Aldershot, is no longer with the club.
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