WORCESTER City manager Tim Harris emphasises his firm belief in giving youth a chance and has reported “very positive” communications with the club’s youth set-up.

Harris has been in his new job only a matter of weeks and has still yet to link up with his squad due to the ongoing national lockdown situation.

Despite the lack of face-to-face interaction, Harris says he has been able to speak to all the players over the phone and has vowed to allow everyone the chance to shine under his management, including those in the academy.

“Coming into a football club and not having the opportunity to sit down and talk to players as a group or individually is very difficult,” he admitted.

“But I have spoken to all of them over the phone and and reassured that there’s an opportunity there if they want it.

“I have also had very positive conversations with the youth set-up.

“It’s something that I’m a great believer of, if they’re good enough then they’re old enough.

“I have been fortunate in my career to have been involved with players who have come through the youth and academy set-up and gone on to make a name for themselves in the football league and even the premier league so the set-up seems very positive.

“The people that run it are very enthusiastic and working with them closely will really be a positive thing for Worcester City.

“The sooner we can get together and working on it, the better, but I cant see that happening in the next few weeks or probably even months.”

Due to the third lockdown across the country, non-league football has been on hold since early December and with 75% of games still to be played through steps three to six, there are growing calls for seasons to be null and void.

“I am not hung up on it either way really,” he added.

“My opinion is straight forward, we have to get control of this virus and be sensible and do the best we can until we are out of this situation we are in.

"But if you're sat top of the league or sat in bottom place you're going to have a different opinion on how you want things to happen and I don't blame anyone for that.

"My honest thought is that it's very difficult to do a points per game system when there are some clubs that have played 12 games and others six or seven so it doesn't seem a fair scenario.

"What will be will be and we just have to accept that and see what comes of it."