ASSISTANT manager Anwar Uddin has spoken of his admiration for Danny Searle, describing the Shots boss as a “brave” man.

The managerial duo joined forces at the EBB Stadium in the summer and set about quickly rebuilding the squad ahead of a season in the National League – after the initially-relegated Shots were given a reprieve following Gateshead’s demotion.

It certainly hasn’t been all plain sailing so far, with Aldershot hovering just above the relegation zone after losing half of their games.

But half a dozen wins, the latest coming in their last outing at home to Maidenhead on November 2, suggests there is plenty to be optimistic about, and Searle has regularly been applauded for his style of play and appears to have won over large sections of the EBB faithful.

Uddin said: “I’ve really enjoyed working with Danny so far.

“I’ve worked with people that at this level they feel like ‘right, the way to do it is long balls, big strong men, probably won’t win the league but will survive’, but one thing I love about the gaffer is that he’s a brave man because he has his principles. He wants to play football the right way and he wants his players to enjoy it and play a really good brand of football, and that’s what we do.

“That’s his style and that’s how we do it. The players are loving it and I’ve seen some of our players come in and improve individually so much because of the environment that we are creating. We try to play, we try to move and I think we are going to be and we are becoming a really good, exciting footballing team that can now mix it and play both sides of the game – the ugly and the pretty.”

Searle and Uddin are keen to build a legacy, something that will last, as they bid to get the Shots back into the Football League.

“Football, unfortunately, is very much in the here and now and a club like Aldershot should be in the Football League, should be battling with the big clubs, and that’s where we want to get the club, and it’s a fantastic trying to get there and we are going to enjoy it,” said Uddin, who was captain of Dagenham for six years during which time they had a meteoric rise from the National League to League One.

“One thing that is essential in any successful team is that hunger and desire and that bond, which is not created overnight, and it’s nice that bond is being created at Aldershot – not just the team, everything around the club. We’ve only been there six months but I feel like I’ve been at the club a couple of years because I feel like it’s part of me now,” he said.

“Any club has the potential to rise like the Dagenhams, like the Tranmeres. It’s utopia and it may not happen overnight, it may take two or three years, but it’s possible and that’s what’s exciting. We’re optimistic and this weekend is a great reason to be alive, I can’t wait.

“We’ve got a squad that has been thrown together, a lot of young players and they’ve done really well and they work really hard and I think we will only get better, so the only way is up.”

This weekend pits Uddin’s current club with his former paymasters.

“An Aldershot versus Dagenham fixture is always a good game no matter what form you are in or what position you are in the league,” he said.

“It’s always going to be a good game because there’s always those added little stories of rivalries, myself and a few other players at Aldershot who have played for the club.

“There isn’t a massive rivalry but there’s a little link there and regardless of what the situation is it’s going to be a brilliant fixture, but it’s one we are welcoming and we are really looking forward to going down there and having a go.”