Liam Daish / manager

Age: 40 Date of birth: 23/09/1968 Previous management: Havant & Waterlooville, Welling United (caretaker) Playing career: Portsmouth, Cambridge United, Birmingham City, Coventry City, Rep. of Ireland Date appointed: February 2005

Portsmouth-born Liam Daish played at the highest level as a defender: with his hometown club, Cambridge United, then following a £500,000 transfer he moved to Birmingham City. In 1996, Ron Atkinson paid £1.5 million to take him to Coventry where he made 31 Premiership appearances in three injury-hit years. Liam was also capped by the Republic of Ireland, playing five times between 1992 and 1996.

Liam moved into football management with Havant & Waterlooville in 2000. He led them to an FA Trophy semi-final in 2002-03, but results didn't go their way the following season and he departed in January 2004. He subsequently joined Welling United as first-team coach. Following manager Paul Parker's departure, he led the struggling Wings to an unbeaten run, taking 10 points from a possible 12. He was popular at Welling and fans there were upset when he wasn't given the job on a permanent basis.

Appointed Fleet manager in February 2005, Liam has made improvements to the squad with each passing season, presiding over a phased move to a fully full-time squad, and his efforts appeared to be coming to fruition with a superb seventh place in 2006-07, the Fleet's second highest-ever placing at this level of football.The next season he kept the side in the play-off hunt and earned himself a place in Fleet folklore by lifting the FA Trophy at Wembley.

Liam almost guided the Fleet to a second Wembley appearance in 2008-09 amid an otherwise disappointing league campaign but there followed financial turmoil and the close-season break-up of the side he built. As a result, he has faced a rebuilding task for 2009-10 on a much restricted playing budget but continues as ever to unearth excellent talent.