Dom Di Paola insists he could not turn down the chance to become Worthing United manager.

The Clymping boss has been unveiled as the replacement for the management team of Jason Rutherford and Fred Proto who quit this week.

Di Paola was a huge success at Clymping, leading the club into senior football and then steering them to a sixth place finish in County League division two last season, but he says he could not ignore overtures from his former club.

He said: “It is my local club. I was there for 16 years from youth football and into the senior side. It was pretty tough to say no to.

“They have just missed out on promotion, they want to do well next season and they want to do it with local players which is what I want to do.

“It is a step up from Clymping. They are brilliant people but they are a small club in senior terms. I had four years there and had a lot of success, coming up from parks football, and I wish them the best.”

Di Paola will be assisted by Ian Browne, who is a former Worthing United manager.

Darren Prior and Phil Churchill have replaced Di Paola at Clymping.

Rutherford quit the Mavericks to become joint boss with Martin Gander at Lancing.

He said: “It was really frustrating not being able to go up at Worthing and I felt it was time to move on because it would have been hard to motivate the players.

“Everything is in place at Lancing so we just need to get the football right. It might take a couple of years but there is more potential.”

Wealden Football Club have changed their name to AFC Uckfield. The club felt they wanted a stronger identity of where they are based.

AFC Uckfield will play in division two next season with Uckfield Town in division three.