Cambridge United Chief Scout Willy Wordsworth is Jimmy Quinn's new assistant manager, initially until the end of the season.

His change of role follows yesterday's announcement that Alan Lewer had left the club to be reunited with John Hollins at Weymouth, and ensures a seamless changeover and lack of disruption behind the scenes.

"Alan has decided to go for whatever reason and Willy will give us continuity," confirmed Jimmy Quinn.

"He gets on very well with the players, he's an ex-manager and assistant manager, and I trust him. I've known him a long time and I think it's important to keep everything going so there's no major upheaval. There have been a few happenings in the last week or so, and it's important that we try to keep it all calm and get on with the job."

Wordsworth will assist Quinn with the coaching on a daily basis and they will share scouting duties, but the manager will also be meeting with a potential new addition to the backroom staff to further help with the scouting reports and player profiles.

"Willy wants to give 110% between now and the end of the season so we'll need somebody else to do a bit of the scouting for us," he explained.

"Obviously everybody is disappointed that Alan has gone, and rather than me go through a lengthy process of trying to find an assistant and maybe interview other people, this keeps the continuity going and nothing has really changed."

Wordsworth, a UEFA B qualified coach with vast experience as a non-league manager, has assisted with some training sessions this season and he is relishing the opportunity to assist Jimmy for the rest of the season.

"You probably remember when I started here in the summer I told you that I wasn't really looking to get back into management," he said, "but when an opportunity like this comes along at a club of the stature of Cambridge United, and obviously working for someone like Jimmy Quinn, it was really hard to for me to say no.

"If it was a lesser club I probably wouldn't have taken the job."

Willy took part in training this morning and he added, "I was doing the academy at Grays this time last year, I know all the lads, I've been on the bench for a few games, and I've actually taken five or six training sessions this season when Alan or Jimmy were ill or had other commitments, so it's not as if I'm a new face and that's why Jimmy and the chairman wanted me on board.

"We've all agreed this is to the end of the season. Obviously we're looking to push on to the play-offs at least and things could change, but they've made the offer to the end of the season and I've accepted.

"I was really surprised at the way Alan left because I've known him for a good fifteen years and I didn't know he was going, but since I've been here, the Board and everyone have made me really welcome."

Willy, who has a weekly newspaper column and takes part in the BBC Non-league radio show, will review his media commitments next week.

Reflecting on yesterday's transfer deadline day, which saw Leo Fortune-West join York City on loan for the rest of the season and the Board turn down offers for Scott Rendell, Jimmy Quinn commented, "Big Leo has done a fantastic job for us but with bringing Lee McEvilly and Mark Beesley in his appearances will have been limited, and it's important to him to be playing regular football.

"He'll be back at the end of the season and he might still have a part to play in the play-offs, who knows?

"Lee and Mark are decent players for our level and Leo might have found it difficult to even get on the bench, but he's played a big part in our start to the season. Everybody has to play their part over the course of the season; there aren't many players who will command a place in the team week-in, week-out for the whole season.

"There was interest for Scotty but we've done the right thing and we've kept him informed of the interest from clubs, and to be fair he wanted to stay and that's the important thing. He's more than happy to stay at the club and hopefully score a few more goals to try and get us where we want to be."

Quinn will be watching upcoming Blue Square Premier rivals this weekend, and the players return to training on Monday for a series of fitness tests before beginning preparations for Saturday's televised match at home to second-placed Stevenage.

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