COLCHESTER United head coach John McGreal has admitted being proud and excited about his first game in the manager’s hot-seat.

Although the former defender was joint-caretaker boss for one game last season, tomorrow’s League Two opener at Hartlepool United will be his first competitive match since being appointed in June.

McGreal says he “never envisaged” taking the role when he first joined the club eight years ago.

But he says that being appointed represents a great achievement and a career milestone.

“I’m really excited,” he said.

“Personally, it’s a fantastic achievement to manage a football club.

“Going from where I was when I first came here, I could never have envisaged this position.

“But stranger things happen in football and the opportunity has come.

“I feel as though I’m ready for it.

“It’s going to be a proud moment and one I’ll really enjoy.

“(Assistant manager) Steve Ball and I keep saying that there’s a lot that goes on with management but you have to enjoy it.

“We’ve tried to do that through pre-season and I think you’ve seen that through our play.

“It does feel different than playing.

“As a player, you are part of a group, but in management, there is you and your staff and you’re trying to get things across.

“You hope that what you put across during the week that the players will implement it on the pitch and I think they’ve done that in pre-season.

“That’s all you can ask for, but that’s where I’ll have to try and learn the game quickly.

“Only time will tell but we’ve had a good pre-season and I think we’re all ready to go.

“If we get a good start it will be fantastic but if we don’t it is a work in progress.

“We won’t set ourselves any numbers and we’ll just be looking to try to win games of football.”

McGreal is refusing to make bold predictions about how his side might do in League Two.

And while he would love to make a strong start to the season, he says it is not imperative.

“It is important but not vitally important,” he said.

“We’re not going to be giving out numbers of where we’re going to finish, but what we’ll do is try to win games of football and get that feelgood factor back at the club.”