Former Pompey youngster is new manager of Hampshire Premier League club Infinity

The Hampshire Premier League club have acted quickly to replace Danny Thompson who resigned earlier this month after the FA decided to null and void the 2019/20 season.

Thompson had guided the Knowle Village-based club to the top of the HPL with an unbeaten 24-game run. With six games remaining, they stood a great chance of being elected to the Wessex League - even if Bush Hill had pipped them to the title.

Now Portsmouth-based Wheatcroft has been tasked with continuing Thompson’s good work after emerging as the best candidate of the 21 applications received.

Wheatcroft, 60, was included on a four-man shortlist who were all interviewed, and then offered the job after a second interview.

‘Gary has got an impressive CV, but he also showed us he has the passion and desire we are looking for,’ said Infinity owner Jody Hoare.

‘He knows where the club wants to be and he wants to take us there.

‘He has managed in the Wessex League and he said people had asked him why he wanted to step down. He said he told them he didn’t think it was a step down coming here.’

Wheatcroft was on the books of Portsmouth, Southampton and Bournemouth in the mid to late 1970s - helping the Saints A team to win the Hampshire Senior Cup in 1976.

He also had a spell with Fareham Town in 1978/79, the season the Reds finishing runners-up in the Hampshire League before winning promotion to the Southern League.

He also rubbed shoulders alongside a teenage Ruud Gullit while playing for Dutch club Haarlem.

Wheatcroft helped Chichester win the Sussex County League Division 1 title as a player in 1980 and guided Selsey to promotion from the second tier in 1987 as player-manager.

He also had spells in charge of Bosham, Arundel and Midhurst & Easebourne United.

In the summer of 2015 he was appointed manager of Hythe & Dibden in Division 1 of the Wessex League, but left the following March.

He has previously coached in America with Alan Ball’s son, Jimmy, and in October 2017 was appointed head of the Shanghai City Youth Football Academy.

Ollie Bennett, who was Thompson’s assistant, is staying to help Wheatcroft along with coach Joe Urquhart.

‘That will help with the integration,’ said Hoare. ‘Ollie knows the players, knows the league.

‘Gary has good contacts with clubs higher up the leagues - perhaps he could bring in some youngsters who need some game time.

‘In grassroots football, it’s important to have links in the right places.

‘I’m hopeful we will be a lot stronger than we were last season.’