Harry Wheeler has spoken about his time as Maidstone manager - more than five years after leaving the club.

Wheeler lasted less than four months as Stones boss after succeeding Jay Saunders at the Gallagher Stadium.

He reflected on his short reign after returning for the first time last weekend as head coach of St Albans, identifying the lack of an experienced assistant manager as his biggest mistake.

Wheeler, just 30 at the time, was the surprise choice to take over from Saunders in September 2018.

The club had been looking to make an experienced appointment but were blown away by the young manager, who had been sacked by Billericay just months after winning the Isthmian Premier title.

He won two of his first three National League games at Maidstone but only one of his next 12 and left by mutual consent amid a toxic atmosphere in the away end following a 3-1 defeat at Dover on Boxing Day.

It was a fifth straight loss for Wheeler, who had made sweeping changes to the squad, signing 19 players, and one that left them five points from safety.

“I learnt a lot,” Wheeler told KentOnline.

“You learn more from your lessons than your wins, right?

“The first thing I can say is I worked as hard as I ever could.

“It was a very different league to where I’d just come from and you learn as you go along.

“Sometimes you learn but you’re winning and sometimes you’re learning and the results aren’t coming for you.

“We never really got beat heavily - we just had a lot of lessons and we didn’t quite get the results.

“We reflect on it and there’s definitely things you know if you had those opportunities again, you’d do differently.

“I will give everything, everywhere I go, and I wanted to always do my best.

“I would literally have done everything to get those results.

“I sat down afterwards and looked at things I did really well and things I didn’t do well, things I’d change if I had the opportunity at a different club again.

“Self-reflection is the biggest thing you can do.

“I enjoyed it but, of course, I wish we’d have done better.”

Wheeler, a UEFA A coach in his early 20s, doesn’t feel the Maidstone job came too soon for him.

He stayed loyal to his Billericay assistant Tristan Lewis but wishes he’d had an older head alongside him.

“In hindsight, I’d have had a more experienced assistant with me,” said Wheeler.

“I look at the young managers in the National League that have done well and they’ve always had somebody who’s been around it, 50, 60 years old, that knows that level, and we’d have done well.

“I coach people extremely well but we’d have had someone with me that knew the level a little bit more.

“That’s what I’d have done differently but that’s not me passing the buck, that was my decision so at the end of the day that failing is on me.

“You give everything you can and you fall short sometimes and you learn lessons that stand you in good stead.

“It works out at some places, it doesn’t at others.

“I’ve still got admiration for the club.

“I’ve followed the FA Cup run and it’s been brilliant.

“They’re in a great place now and that’s the most important thing and the manager (George Elokobi) has done an unbelievable job.

“It’s been great to be back here. I only wish them well and the staff have been great again.”

Wheeler briefly returned to Billericay after leaving Maidstone but was sacked again in September 2019.

He’d been out of football before returning to St Albans, initially in a caretaker capacity alongside Jon Meakes, in January.

The role has since been made permanent with the Saints - 2-1 winners over Maidstone last weekend - firmly in the National League South play-off picture.

Wheeler said: “I left here and had quite a lot of offers.

“I went to one club (Billericay) and then I decided to have a break and set some things up for my family.

“The businesses I set up went really well and it materialised they took over my life instead of football and so financially for my family it wasn’t right to go back into it.

“The more jobs you turn down, the more you think that’s the last one, then St Albans came in and it’s local to me and I’ve enjoyed it and I’ve got a bit more time. Those opportunities are always there but I’ve got other priorities.”

Wheeler, still only 35, has time on his side if he decides to go back in as a No.1.

That said, a coaching role is more likely to appeal.

For now, he’s enjoying his work under Meakes at St Albans.

“I’m tempted to work as a coach at the higher level,” he said.

“I’ve had offers to do that in the league and if I feel the time is right at one point, yes, I'd do it.

“I don’t over-think it too much - just go with the flow.”

There’s all to play for in the race for a National League South play-off place.

St Albans, who won again at Weston on Tuesday night, are fifth, with Maidstone outside the top seven on goal difference.

“The top eight or nine are really strong - it could be any of us,” said Wheeler. “We might see you in the final.”