WELLINGTON FC have received a huge boost ahead of the next Hellenic League season as the head coach for England's national blind football team becomes their new manager.

Jon Pugh joins Wellington after the league season was null and void the current season which was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Gary Stevens then stepped down from his role as first team manager to have a break, but said he wanted to remain in the game.

READ MORE: Gary Stevens to take break, but is not stepping away from football

Club chairman Phil Smith said Pugh brings a wealth of experience from a local and national level to the club.

"He's known to us but he's got such a wealth of experience locally and as coach for the blind national team," Smith said.

"He's got a lot of contacts and he can take us to the next level. That's what we were looking for really.

"We were looking for an improvement and a bit of a step change when Gary left.

"We've appointed John and we had a few applicants for the job, and Jon was by far the most experienced and fitted with what we wanted.

The players and coaches currently at the club are said to be "very happy" with the appointment and are looking forward to working with him.

Wellington sat in eighth in the Hellenic Division One West when the season was called to an abrupt halt, and Smith hopes the appointment will spur the club on.

"He still works for the FA now, he's head coach for the national blind team," Smith added.

"It keeps us where we want to be. At the end of the day we are a village football team, but we do punch miles above our weight.

"We've got a lot of people around us who want the club to do well, and bringing someone like Jon to that position takes us to a position where we want to be

"We will always be limited with finance because that's where we are, we are only a village football club, but we all want to do well and we all strive to be competitive and hopefully Jon will take us to that next level."

Pugh's first job in his new role will be to strengthen his coaching staff.

Smith said: "Whoever takes the position at whatever club, you want a good team around you. You can't make every game, sometimes it's work commitments or family, so you need a good dugout around you.

"That's that Jon will be doing over the coming weeks, getting a good coaching side together."