Boss is building for the long-term good of AFC Telford United

Despite the fact the 57-year-old is in his 18th season of management, Telford is only his fourth club, two fewer than the number of clubs he featured for in his 18-year playing career. His eight-year spell in charge at Nuneaton saw him take the club from the depths of liquidation to the Conference Premier in the space of four years.

And despite leaving for Wrexham, Wilkin remains fondly thought of by Boro supporters, just as he is by followers of Brackley, where he spent seven years between 2015 and 2022, and won the FA Trophy in 2018.

Wilkin is a club builder, an old-school manager who wants to be involved in all aspects of the job. He wants his clubs to embody him just as much as it embodies its supporters. And so as he moves into his third year at the helm in Shropshire, it is clear the trust has been placed in him to rebuild the club. No-one can deny that when he took charge that is what was needed.

While he was unable to keep the club in the National League North, the damage was done before his arrival.

And after navigating a hectic summer in 2023, during which he made some good and bad decisions on the transfer front, Wilkin was trusted to get the club out of their early-season rut, re-rebuild a squad midway through the campaign and lead the club to promotion.

He achieved two of those objectives convincingly and came painfully close to delivering that all-important promotion.

The feeling around the club is undoubtedly better than when Wilkin walked through the door in 2022, but the fact remains that the division they are competing in is worse. And so after two years of steady progression, and returning Telford to a club and a team that its supporters can be proud of, hopefully it can be third time lucky when it comes to on-field success.