NEIL Young has hit the ground running as Altrincham's new manager after revealing he has already identified the players he wants to keep and sounded out prospective new signings.

Appointed on Sunday along with assistant-manager Gary Jones, barely 24 hours after a final-day 3-0 defeat at Braintree, the former Chester boss has wasted no time formulating plans for a squad capable of challenging for promotion.

He wants to keep 'four or five' of the current squad, on top of contracted quartet Shaun Densmore, Jake Moult, Simon Richman and Sam Heathcote, and has already begun the process of trying to attract up to 10 new faces to The J.Davidson Stadium.

Speaking at a press conference at the ground on Tuesday, Young said: "There are four or five we will be offering terms to, and I have already spoken to two of them and arranged to meet them later this week or at the weekend.

"Incomings depends on the answers I get from the boys we're talking to, but there could be up to 10, because I envisage a squad of 18 or 19 senior players, ideally, with the option then of using the loan market, if need be, or any good youngsters coming through.

"I met with Gary yesterday, and we drew up a full list of names.

"You've got to be realistic and accept there will be competition for a lot of them, but we will make them our best offer and stress we want them here.

"It's part and parcel of life that players want the best deal they can get, but I would like to think that if there's not much in it, the name Altrincham Football Club and what we are trying to do here might sway things our way.

"Signings may be a little way down the line, because I want to get it right, rather than dive in with both feet and get it wrong, but we have already been active.

"We have made contact with three players. It's important to register an interest, because we don't want them signing for someone else without speaking to us first.

"We've done that, so they know we're interested in them.

"Leaders are becoming increasingly scarce, but we need to find them.

"We need a couple of them out in the middle, making sure questions are being asked and people are accepting responsibility."