Cox eyeing up 'Project Two' with Poppies

Cox arrived at Latimer Park at the end of October with the Poppies entrenched in the relegation zone of the Vanarama National League North after a poor start to the campaign, which resulted in Nicky Eaden being sacked.

Cox was given the sole target of keeping Kettering in the division and, while the season came to a premature end due to the Covid-19 outbreak, that aim has been achieved.

It remains unclear when the next campaign will get under way but Cox looks set to be at the helm.

And the former Poppies defender, who returned to management with the club after 18 months out of the game, is hoping to take Kettering to the next level when things do resume.

“It’s delivered everything I wanted,” Cox said as he reflected on his return to management.

“I am enjoying my football. I took the job on thinking it would be an amazing challenge and I don’t mean just because of trying to keep the club up. I wanted to lay some strong foundations.

“As a club, we have got loads to do before we get anywhere near where we want to be but it’s a challenge that has got me champing at the bit again.

“I didn’t realise how big of a challenge it would be to keep the club in the league but now we have achieved that, it’s on to what I call ‘Project Two’.

“And that is all about how we can improve as a club, how I can improve as a manager to make us better, how the players can improve and how we can eradicate the little mistakes we made last season.

“I want to get the club competing at the top end of the division and, dare I say, getting promoted into the next league.

“This job is everything I am craving at the minute, it’s whetting my appetite for more."