AIDY Boothroyd spent 10 months out of the game, following his departure from Watford, but he was not resting on his laurels during that time.

Carl Marston

by Carl Marston

AIDY Boothroyd spent 10 months out of the game, following his departure from Watford, but he was not resting on his laurels during that time.

Far from it The 38-year-old believes that he has benefited from a spell out of the managerial limelight.

Today, he will fully embrace the life of a manager again, older and wiser, when he leads out his Colchester United team at St Mary's Stadium, to face hosts Southampton.

“I don't see this as a drop down (to League One) for me. It's a great opportunity,” insisted Boothroyd.

“Some people might have waited and waited and waited, and in a way I did, because it's 10 months since I left Watford. It's now the right time for me, and I'm looking forward to building the club up.

“We enjoyed a lot of success at Watford. We won promotion (to the Premier League), and got to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, so I made a lot of money for Watford. But it was not all down to me.

“Now I'm looking to build on something at Colchester. I see it as a wonderful marriage (at Watford), followed by a divorce and now making sure I'm with a wonderful woman again!

“To start with (10-month break), I had a sabbatical, and it was just good to get to know my wife and kids again. You sometimes forget about such things when you are in football.

“I've also helped with my professional development. I've been to Ajax, Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Manchester United, amongst others, watching a lot of managers. I have a good relationship with people, and hopefully I will have improved as a manager.

“I've worked in press boxes, on TV and for newspapers, over the last few months as well, so I hope that I'm a lot more rounded person.

“I've seen the game from a different perspective, and hopefully that has added to my humility.

“But I've still got the fire and the ambition, and I expect others to be just as vicious in their ambitions,” added Boothroyd.

Appointed on Wednesday morning, Boothroyd has not had long to build up an understanding with his new team.

He recruited midfielder John-Joe O'Toole on loan from his old club Watford, before the transfer deadline, but otherwise there shouldn't be too many changes to the U's familiar starting line-up.

Squads

SOUTHAMPTON: Davis, Harding, Perry, Trotman, Thomas, James, Hammond, Mellis, Lallana, Lambert, Waigo, Paterson, Wotton, Gobern, Bialkowski, Lancashire, Thomson, Schneirderlin, Mills, Holmes., COLCHESTER UNITED: Williams, Maybury, Okuonghae, Baldwin, Tierney, Vincent, Fox, Izzet, Hackney, Platt, Lisbie. O'Toole, Vernon, Perkins, Heath, Wordsworth, White, Thomas, Holt, Lockwood, Corcoran, Cousins.