FORMER Weymouth star Ian Hutchinson, who has been appointed as Royston Davies' successor at St Mary's Field, believes he can "take the club to a new level".

Hutchinson, the Terras stalwart who played more than 500 games for the Radipole Lane outfit, overcame competition from six other candidates including former Bees' bosses Paul Hammond and Trevor Senior to be unveiled as the new permanent manager.

Speaking at St Mary's Field yesterday, 35-year-old Hutchinson, who will combine his off-field duties with a playing role for the foreseeable future, is confident that the club can progress under his tutelage.

He said: "I'm absolutely delighted to be given this opportunity by Adrian Scadding because I've had managerial ambitions for some time." he said.

"In this league you need to be realistic but they came fourth bottom last year and I'm looking to improve on that this season and play in the right manner with an attacking brand of football.

"This is a great opportunity for me and I'll give it all I've got."

Despite this being Hutchinson's first venture into management, he has already gained a UEFA coaching badge and points to the guidance he's had from a succession of managers at the Wessex Stadium.

He added: "I think I played under 12 managers during my time at Weymouth and I learned from each one of them.

"I'll certainly be taking what they've taught me but I've got ideas of my own.

"The main thing I want to do is implement a routine of organisation and get the players conducting themselves properly on and off the pitch to create a professional atmosphere."

Hutchinson, who has signed an open-ended contract, would not divulge the name of the assistant he will bring to the West Dorset club, but it is rumoured to be another former Terras player.

He did make clear however, that he hopes to add some experienced names to the squad before the season commences to complement the strong youth contingent, which will remain the foundation for his first season in charge.

He said: "There are a lot of really good young players here and I want to keep that element, but a couple of older heads could help them along.

"I've done my homework and I've been given insights by people and hopefully I'll speak to the players in the near future."

Chairman Adrian Scadding said that although many of the candidates interviewed were impressive, Hutchinson's ambition and dedication stood out.

He said: "The quality of all the applicants was high and we would have been proud to have appointed any one of them.

"Ian came out on top because he wanted to be a player-manager and we need that experience at the moment.

"He realises that this is a tight knit family club and doesn't want to break it up, but he's very committed and has a winning streak in him."

Hutchinson's first chance to meet the players will come on June 13 when Bridport host their presentation evening.