Ledbury Town manager Ian Merrick has added some fresh faces to his coaching staff for the upcoming season.

Former player and FA Level 2 coach Sam Dixon will be Merrick's number two as assistant manager and Scott Roberts has joined as first team player coach.

The move comes as Merrick’s team start their preparation ahead of the Herefordshire County League Premier Division season which starts in late August.

Dixon is a former Ledbury player but retired in his twenties. He is now a FA Level 2 coach and his appointment concludes a lengthy search for Merrick’s number two.

Merrick said: "I wanted to bring Sam to the club with me last season, but the timing wasn’t right for him. We had conversations at the end of the season, and he indicated that he would be keen."

"He watches a lot of football locally and has fantastic knowledge of local players. He’s also a great lad to have around the dressing room. I played with him and he will bring great experience and humour to the dressing room. He’s a coach who I think the lads will really take to."

Roberts returned to Ledbury’s playing ranks last season and coincided with a dramatic improvement in the team’s performance, and his consistency and leadership earned him the Manager’s Player of the Season award for the 2021/22 season.

Merrick said: "Scotty’s in-game management while playing has always impressed me. At times he sees things on the pitch that I’ve missed, and I’ve been very keen to harness that knowledge. Niggling injuries mean he may now not be able to play every week, so I was keen to have him on board."