New Gloucester City manager Daf Williams knows the hopes and expectations at the club and he’s ready for the challenge.

He enjoyed a year-long spell at the club as Lee Mansell’s assistant  in 2021 and 2022 and the 32-year-old is keen to make a big impression now he’s the main man. 

Gloucester kick off their Southern League Premier South campaign at home to Gosport Borough tomorrow (3pm) and Williams is aiming high.

“I’d be lying if I said we hadn’t set our sights on promotion,” he said. “I want to get this great football club back into National League North or South.

“With my standards and values, I want to win every game, so I have no problem saying that promotion is the aim.”

Gloucester finished fourth last season and missed out on the second promotion spot when they were beaten 1-0 by Totton in the play-off final.

That was their first season in the Southern League following relegation at the end of the previous campaign, but Williams thinks it will be tougher division this season.

“I think it will be more competitive,” he said. “I think a number of last season’s middle-of-the-road clubs have recruited well, it will be a tough, tough challenge.”

Williams, who is full-time, remains confident, however. He’s done his homework and plans to play three at the back this season.

“We’re going to play 3-4-3 but there are a variety of ways to play the system,” he said. “We might play one up and two 10s or one 10 and two up top, or we may play a front three.

“We’ve got to be flexible and adaptable but we’ve recruited in the summer for this formation.”

And Williams, who has signed a two-year contract, wants his team to play on the front foot.

“I’m quite big on attacking outcomes, I want us to be attacking certain spaces,” he said. “Yes, we want to have the ball, but it has to be with a purpose.

“I want us to control games but I’m not one of those who is worried about the number of passes or our percentage of possession, I want us to excite the fans.”

And while he wants his team to be good going forward, he wants them to be just as good defensively.

“We have to be organised at the back, we have to have a structure,” he said.

“Introducing a new style will take time and we will continue to evolve but I think we’ve got some really quality players at the club.”

And Williams, who was caretaker-boss at Newport County for their final two League Two games last season, believes he is the man to get the best out of them.

He has come a long way since setting out on his coaching career some 15 years ago.

“I stopped playing at a very young age when I realised I wasn’t going to make it at a high level as a player,” he said. “I gravitated towards taking different coaching opportunities.”

He worked at the academies of both Cardiff City and Swansea City before moving to Bristol Rovers where he worked his way up through the age groups during an eight-year spell.

“I’ve been very fortunate to work with some very good managers,” said Williams, who was assistant manager at Newport last season.

"This job is a great opportunity for me and I'm going to give it a real go. I’m a great believer that if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. That applies to managers as well as players.”

Gloucester scored fewer goals than the three teams who finished above them last season - champions Merthyr Town scored 105 in their 42 games, 24 more than Gloucester - and Williams is hoping striker Kieran Phillips can find the back of the net regularly in 2025/26.

“I think he’s a 20 goals a season striker at this level,” Williams said. “Managed correctly, I think he can flourish, I think he’s going to have a very good season.”

Gloucester’s fans will certainly hope so and they will be excited ahead of tomorrow’s game.

“I think we’re all excited,” said Williams. “It’s a well-run club, we’ve got a fantastic changing room and great staff.

“If we’re consistent and stick to our values then we can be successful, but it’s a marathon not a sprint.”