NEIL Loader knows he has a job on his hands after recently taking the reigns at struggling Salisbury, but the former Swindon head coach is up for the challenge.

Loader left Greenbridge Road in the summer after four years in the hotseat, ending with two straight fourth place finishes in South West 1 East, and after a brief spell coaching at Wootton Bassett he took the reigns at Salisbury in October.

The Castle Road club sit bottom of the table as the mid-point of the season approaches, but the former Swindon man remains positive.

“I was asked whether I fancied something new, although I did have some commitments with Wootton Bassett, and I said to them I would go down and do some sessions with them to see what was going on,” he said.

“Coincidentally it turned out to be the week they played against Swindon.

“Some of the Swindon boys found out and weren’t too chuffed but there wasn’t much I could do in just one week.

“They have some issues with injuries and players who aren’t available to play, but they play some good stuff.

“The attitude is the key because if they had not cared then things would have been very different. As it is the boys have shown a fantastic attitude in what is a very hard season.

“That’s what you get when you move jobs, because when you move you generally end up in clubs which are struggling a little bit.”

Loader will return to Greenbridge Road on February 8 to coach against the club he has been associated with for much of his adult life, and admitted it will be a tough afternoon.

“I’m a Swindon man but I no longer work there, I work for a different club, but when you spend so long somewhere you always have that affiliation,” he said.

“I have a trip to Swindon to look forward to, which would be a tough afternoon, but I’ve been there before with other teams.

“Last time I coached in the same league as Swindon they got promoted so maybe the same might happen again.”