Striking challenge

The respected, and experienced, mentor will step into the role of head coach.

And, Willoughby admits he is thrilled by the prospect of leading the Singleton outfit.

“The club contacted me a short time ago – and it all went from there,” he said.

“It certainly appealed to the challenging side of me.

“Also, the opportunity to work with the current crop of players excited me.

“It’s important to have young guys, who will listen and learn.”

Willoughby said he had already done a bit of homework on the Strikers.

“The team finished strongly in 2015,” he told The Argus.

“There is a tremendous base there; it’s just a matter of refining a few things – and taking them to the next step.

“We’ll need to look at our defensive structure and cut down the other sides’ goal-scoring options.

“But, I’ve coached a couple of the players before.

“So, I’m fairly confident we’ll do well.”

Club president David Andrews said the Strikers were delighted to have Willoughby on board in 2016.

“David is a highly-credentialed coach who has a long history of involvement in numerous coaching roles within both NNSWF and the Hunter Valley Football Association (HVFA),” he said.

“He was the HVFA technical director from 2006 to 2012.

“And, under his stewardship, HVFA successfully implemented the FFA National Coaching curriculum.

“The success of his coaching is evidenced by the number of graduates from the HVFA High Performance Unit to the Australian Institute of Sport, the A-League, and the Matildas.

“David also coached NNSWF teams to the National Championships.

“He holds a FFA ‘C’ Coaching Licence.

“This, combined with his hands-on approach and commitment to the development of local youth footballers, make David the ideal candidate to lead the Strikers to long-term success.”

Further announcements on the club’s coaching staff are expected soon.

Training will start from 6pm at Victoria Square (behind the Royal Hotel) on Tuesday.