DEAN HOLDSWORTH has revealed he has already been in touch with some "very high-profile managers" as he sets about building his Chelmsford City squad.
Holdsworth held a meeting with several City players on Tuesday night as he begins to make plans for the new season, having been appointed as the Clarets boss last week on a two-year deal.
None of the players who featured under Glenn Pennyfather last term are currently signed up for 2013/14, and a number of players have already left the club.
Stuart Searle, Jamie Slabber, Kenny Clark, Max Cornhill and David Bridges have all moved on, but Holdsworth is looking to merge what he already has at his disposal with some new faces.
He made his first signing yesterday, bringing in former Southend and Barnet left-sided player Nicky Nicolau.
And Holdsworth told the Chronicle: "I will look to freshen things up, bring some good experienced players who've played at a higher level.
"It's early days regarding recruitment of players who might come out on loan because it's only the end of May.
"But come pre-season there will be players who will want to come out and play and the clubs will be looking to get them experience.
"I will use my contacts, I've already been in contact with two or three very high-profile managers and made them aware of where I am and what we want to do."
The 44-year-old had been out of work since leaving Aldershot in February, but he is relishing the chance to get going at Melbourne Stadium. "I'm looking forward to pre-season now," he added. "I really am. I'm planning already, I'm planning sessions, games.
"But first and foremost I need to get my staff and my squad in place so it's going to be a busy time.
"There's lots of conversations and meetings to be had.
"It's a new fresh challenge for me and I'm excited by it.
"I do see the potential at Chelmsford.
"The way it's been described to me is that it's going to be a work in progress over the next two to three years for the club.
"The budget has been set which is going to be where the club are. I don't think it's going to be a promotion-challenging budget but we'll work together on that and hopefully put a good squad together."
Pennyfather left the club after a fourth play-off semi-final defeat in five years, and Holdsworth is keen to ensure he replicates what he did at Newport and win promotion to the Conference – and he believes that, long-term, his new charges could emulate Newport and get into the Football League.
"I think long-term everyone should have that ambition to get in there," he said.
"We've got to take small steps but there's nothing wrong with having ambition.
"There's some very, very good people at the club.
"I've known them from my days at Newport and managing there. When I had a meeting with Mansell I knew they would look at me and say 'can you, over a period of two or three years, take us where we want to be?' – and that's out of the Conference South and that will be our ambition."
Holdsworth's task next season may not be an easy one, with several big clubs in the Conference South – and he admits he cannot compete with some of them financially.
"I've already found out that I'm competing against some very large football clubs in this division and financially backed because I've been speaking to players who I've not been able to get already.
"That'll be our challenge but I still know there's a lot of good players out there who will want to join Chelmsford because of the manager and the football club and I think that's a great asset for the club.
"We had to build something from scratch at Newport. We're much more advanced than that here.
"I'll bring a lot of experience from those three years at Newport with me and they'll stand me in a great stead for it.
"We're going to do it together."
