Former Horsham fans' favourite and viral sensation takes first steps into management

The 29-year-old striker has been appointed player-manager at Southern Combination League Division 1 outfit Wick.

Having joined the Crabtree Park outfit last season the well-know Sussex player has taken over from caretaker duo Dan Cox and Luke Cooper.

Former Horsham assistant manager Ian Browne will also form part of the club's management team. Having left the Hornets in 2017, Browne, after a long-term management relationship with Dominic Di Paola, has been out of the game apart from a short spell at Shoreham.

Dodd became a firm Horsham favourite as his 30 goals helped fire the club to the Southern Combination Legaue title in the 2015/16 campaign.

Previous to that he had played for Worthing, Horsham YMCA, Bognor Regis, Peacehaven and Lewes.

During his time as a Hornet, Dodd's infectious and popular character was summed up on the day Horsham lifted the Premier Division crown in an 11-1 thrashing of Hailsham Town.

He became a national news story and social media hit when after missing a sitter - having already scored a hat-trick mind - he grabbed a fans' beer and drunk it on the sidelines, with the footage going viral.

Dodd went on to suffer a serious knee injury in the 2016-17 campaign and missed the whole of the following season, he did not feature again for Horsham and made his comeback for Wick this season.

And now he is set to try his hand at management, if not a little sooner than expected. Dodd said: “To be honest I didn’t think it would come this soon, but the opportunity at Wick came up so it seemed like the right time to take it.

“I’ve always thought about management ever since I was playing.

“When I had two years out due to my knee injury, my first thought was to get back playing but also I did think about the management side of things.

“I was playing for the club last season and it was tough initially because we struggled to find our feet.

VIDEO: Internet sensation Dodd says winning title was thirsty work

“Dan (Cox) and Luke (Cooper) came in and took the reins and kept a decent core of players, which meant we managed to get to a cup final.

“That was a great achievement and they’ve laid a good foundation for me to take over.”

Dodd stressed there is ‘huge potential’ at Crabtree Park and he feels playing at a high standard for various teams across Sussex as a player puts him in a strong position to take Wick forward.

He added: “We’ve got lots of potential at the club already, it’s early days and this is still very much a work in progress.

“I’ve spent all my career in and around Sussex football. During that time I’ve met a lot of people, who I’ve learnt a lot from, which puts me in a good position to take the club forward.”