Michael Phillips admits it’s great to be back at Maidstone United as he takes up a coaching role with the club’s under-23s.

The former midfielder, known to Stones fans as “Iniesta”, was a crowd favourite at the Gallagher Stadium during his 119 appearances for the club between 2011 and 2014.

Phillips’ Football League career at Gillingham was wrecked by a botched knee operation as he retired from the professional game in 2004 before he forged a successful non-league career despite further injury troubles.

He joins following the surprise resignation of Maidstone under-23s manager Simon Austin last month, with Austin’s assistant Joe Dowley and goalkeeper coach Matt Grant also leaving alongside Austin.

Phillips told the club website: “I just spoke to Bill (Williams, chief executive) and a few others, and I heard that Austo and his team had called it a day.

“I thought it would be a great opportunity to come back and get involved.

“I have always had an affiliation with the club and it’s good to be back.”

Phillips, described by his former Stones boss Jay Saunders as possibly the best central midfielder he’s worked with after his retirement in 2017, was known as a no-nonsense player.

But the 38-year-old says time will tell whether he has the same sort of personality in the dugout.

He said: “I’d like to think I will be nice, calm and collected but you just don’t know. It’s all new to me so I’m looking forward to it.

“I’ve chilled out quite a bit over the years, and I’m a little bit older. So we will wait and see.

“For me, my job is to get as many of these young lads into the first-team - if not better. If they can push on and get a pro deal, then even better.

“I’ll just be aiming to work hard and get as many of them in the first-team as possible.”

Phillips saw his new under-23s team in action for the first time on Saturday as they lost 3-2 at Eastbourne Borough. They are seventh in the Suburban League Premier Division.

Phillips, who also counts Tonbridge, Ashford, Ramsgate and Erith among his former clubs, helped Maidstone to play-off and League Cup glory during his playing days.

He started their Isthmian South 3-0 play-off final win over Faversham in 2013 and was on the scoresheet in their Isthmian League Cup final victory by the same scoreline against AFC Sudbury a year later.

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