John Gregory has warned that Crawley Town cannot afford to make a mistake when appointing their next manager.

Reds are assessing more than 30 “high calibre” applicants for the position after front-runner Dean Saunders was unveiled as the new boss at Chesterfield yesterday.

Saunders had filled in on an interim basis when Gregory stepped aside due to health reasons in December but turned down the job on a permanent deal to join the Spireites.

Former Albion boss Micky Adams is among those who have applied for the role, along with ex-Seagulls midfielder Danny Wilson, and Gregory says picking the right candidate is vital for the club’s future.

Gregory said: “This is a big couple of months now. It has got to be done right as the appointment of a new manager is massive for the club. They can’t afford to make a mistake and I am sure they won’t.

“They need somebody with a vast knowledge of the lower leagues and the Conference so they can recruit the right players and it needs to be somebody young enough to do lots of jobs because they aren’t going to have much of a backroom staff.”

Gregory helped persuade Saunders to take over at Christmas when he underwent heart surgery and expects to have some input in identifying a new manager despite having his contract terminated last weekend.

He added: “I am still very close to the owner so any advice I can give him then I’m happy to do that. They need to try to bounce back but whoever takes charge will have a very limited budget so it is imperative they get it right.”

Don't miss our exclusive interview with John Gregory in The Argus today in which he talks about the shock of learning he needed heart surgery and his feelings of guilt over Crawley's relegation