YATE TOWN have appointed Michael Meaker as their assistant manager.

The former QPR, Reading and Bristol Rovers striker was signed by former boss Dave Mogg in January and then helped Rob Cousins when he took over the reins in February until the end of the season.

Meaker, who turns 40 in August, scored four goals for Yate in Southern League Division One South & West and will continue to play next season along with Cousins.

Skipper Edd Vahid has also handed the club a major boost by rejecting moves to rival clubs to stay at Yate.

Striker Joe Dakwa, who struggled with a hip injury last season, is the only member of the squad to be released.

Cousins is hoping to recruit more players before the new season begins and will look at a number of players in pre-season training, which starts next Tuesday.

Former defender Tom Warren could be amongst them. He left the club halfway through last season to join Almondsbury Town, who have since resigned from the league.

Cousins said: “I’ve invited a number of players to pre-season training.

“We’re fairly pleased with the majority of the squad from last year, we want to build on it and hopefully add three or four.

“I’m hoping Tom Warren will return and there are a few others I will look at in pre-season and decide then.

“We’ve got a fitness coach coming in pre-season to work on players’ fitness.

“We want to do everything as correctly as much as possible.”