Keith Wilson said he had Burnham Ramblers’ best interests at heart in deciding to step down as manager at Leslie Field this week.

Wilson’s second spell as Ramblers manager has come to a close as he has opted to take up the offer of a coaching position at Ryman League premier division side East Thurrock United.

It has not been the easiest of seasons at Leslie Field as Wilson has struggled to get a settled side and he admitted several weeks ago that he may decide to walk away once their Essex Senior League campaign was finished.

However, an offer from East Thurrock boss John Coventry to become their first-team coach was one that finally swayed his mind.

Wilson said: “I told people at the club about it after our game [a 4-1 defeat] against Ilford on Saturday because I wanted them to hear it from me properly.

“East Thurrock are my most local club and it is so easy for me to get there so I can commit to it in a way that I’ve struggled to do at Burnham this year.

“My job means I’m often struggling to get to training and games and with that getting more intense all the time, I just don’t have the time available to do a proper job for Burnham.

“How it’s been is not a fair way to do things; it’s not fair on [assistant manager] Dave [Patient], who has had to step in and cover for me and I can’t ask the players to be committed if I can’t be as I want to.

“So I’ll be first-team coach at East Thurrock, working with [manager] John Coventry and [assistant manager] Jay Deveraux, I’ll be in the dug out for games and I’ll take training, but I won’t have the worries and chasing around that you do with management.

“It’s tough as I’ll be taking very fond memories of Burnham Ramblers Football Club.

“I’m proud of what we have achieved.

“Three years ago when we won the Essex Senior League and then to retain our status in the Ryman League.

“So I am disappointed to leave, but I’m going because I have the club’s best interests at heart.

“I can’t justify being manager any more and if I’m going to do a job, I want to do it 100 per cent.

“Since the turn of the year, I feel I haven’t been able to give 100 per cent.

“That’s not because I don’t want to, but because I just haven’t been able to and I can only see my job getting more and more intense so I’ve decided to leave.”

Burnham were due to conclude their Essex Senior League campaign with a trip to the Old Spotted Dog ground to face London Bari last night in a game that kicked off after the Standard went to press.

Wilson said he wanted to take charge of that game as it gave a nice symmetry to his time at the Ramblers’ helm because that was also the venue for his first game in charge of Burnham.

He expected his assistant manager, Dave Patient, to remain with the club after his departure and said leaving his assistant was probably the toughest part of making an exit from Leslie Field.

Wilson added: “The hardest thing to do is knowing that I won’t be working with Dave any more.

“He was offered the manager’s job when Garry Kimble left and he said to give it to me, but I said I only wanted it if I had him there helping.

“We have never had a row in six years working together.

“Dave encouraged me to take the East Thurrock position, but it’s disappointing that we won’t be working together and I can’t praise him enough.

“We wouldn’t have had half the success that we have without him.”

It is understood that the club will not be advertising externally for the managerial position at Burnham.