CHAIRMAN Toby Macormac admits Paul Carden is destined to manage at a higher level - but hopes the Warrington Town boss will lead his side to promotion and further success first, writes Tom Ferguson.

The Yellows manager has impressed since taking the helm back in October 2016, steadying the ship before launching a promising start to the current campaign.

Town sit fourth, well in the hunt for a play-off place, as they prepare for a busy festive period and Macormac concedes that Carden's positive impact will inevitably see him linked with other teams higher up the football ladder.

“The battle for me will be keeping him," said the Yellows chairman.

"The better he does, the more interest there will be.

"He’ll get an offer from a club higher up at some point and I hope he gets the chance to be a manager at the top in the future.

"If we can help him get there, fantastic.”

Macormac has been delighted by Carden's attention to detail, both on and off the pitch.

The former Tranmere and Cambridge assistant manager has made full use of his extensive contacts within the scouting network, enabling him to overhaul the squad and make it more competitive in this division.

Macormac continued: “He’s brilliant. He’s very technical and cares about every aspect of the club - not just the points on a Saturday either.

"He cares about where we train, what we do, how we set up.

"We were very unlucky when he came in. We had a horrendous injury list.

"I think we were 15th on New Year’s Day, rallied up to fourth and dropped off a bit.

"We’ve changed the entire squad because he needs different types of players for the Premier Division.

"He’s fetched all of them in and we’re doing really well."

He added: “I was in the car with him for two hours only the other day and I probably spoke to him for only 10 minutes because he was never off the phone.

"He utilised every minute of being in the passenger seat by speaking to scouts, sorting emails, taking phone calls, speaking to other managers - even just for a bit of football gossip.

"That’s really important, it wasn’t just a show for me. I’ve seen him do it before, that is just an example of how involved he is with the club."