Paul Cook certainly isn’t one to get overawed by any situation. When England and Arsenal legend Ian Wright joined Burnley, some of the Clarets players were a bit overwhelmed as to how to treat the superstar.

Playing head tennis on his first day at training, Wright made a mess of it and Cook was the first one to say ‘who have we signed here?’ – and the ice was broken.

So the new Accrington boss is not worried about stepping into John Coleman’s massive footsteps.

He and assistant Leam Richardson are ready to launch a new era at the Crown Ground and that means not looking back and only forward.

"John and Jimmy Bell did a fantastic job here and no one can take that away," said the 44-year-old, who signed a two-and-a-half year deal with the Reds.

"John is an influential person, he is a big character, has great self-confidence and man-management skills and he has done a fantastic job here.

"Getting the club into the play-offs last year was phenomenal on what other people describe as a shoestring budget, so I think John deserves every plaudit he gets. And he has got a great ally in Jimmy, who has been fantastically loyal.

"They will say if we get into the play-offs, it will be down to them and if we take Accrington down, it’s because we haven’t got a clue! That’s John and Jimmy.

"But, whatever has happened in the past, it is all about looking forward now and hopefully helping the club improve."

After five years at Sligo where he has won three cups, taken them to second in the Irish League and led them into Europe, Cook is used to being a winner and he has no doubt he will transfer that to the Crown Ground.

But he certainly isn’t bothered about hogging the spotlight.

"Football is about players, not the managers," he said.

"All managers have their critics. If you sit on a bench and are quiet you have no enthusiasm.

"If you jump up and down you’re a lunatic. There is no right way or correct way. I would love to wear a suit and be really calm but I won’t – I will be heading every ball in the dug out!"

Cook knows all about the Crown Ground as he came as a player in 2003 and helped coach the Conference-winning side of 2005/06 under Coleman and Bell.

"That was a great time for the club," he said, having retired from playing at the end of that season and having a testimonial.

"We had major success – we won the Conference and we had some great cup nights and the cups are very important for clubs like this.

"I remember the nights when we were on Sky and the penalty shoot-out.

"It’s what we are in the game for and hopefully there will be plenty more good nights."

He admitted things have changed since he was here as a player, under the chairmanship of Eric Whalley.

"Eric was fantastic when I was here to me. He was a chairman who wore his heart on his sleeve and he loved this club but obviously the club has moved forward since I left and a new chairman has come in who is more laid back but still has a great passion for the club.

"Now, from the chairman down, we have got to try and make this club the focal point of the week, we want everyone to come and watch us."

Cook admitted it was the right time for him to leave Sligo, with their season starting in early March which was why – after the Reds board saying they wouldn’t rush a managerial decision – it ended up a speedy appointment of Cook this week.

"It was a tricky decision to leave," said Cook. "I have been in Ireland for five years in May and had a fantastic time.

"But I have a young family and I think the time was right for me to come back to England.

"Managements positions are highly sought after, they don’t come around that often and clubs are inundated with applicants, so it’s quite an honour for Accrington to come after me.

"It has given me a huge confidence boost that they think I am the man to take the club forward."

Cook will work with Richardson and Phil Hackney and says the backroom staff are very much a team. "Football is about opinions and decisions and me and Leam have got to work hard together, get a staff together and work hard in our jobs," he said.

"This is a great club and, anywhere, if you want success you have got to work hard and we are willing to do that.

"We will have success together but it won’t be all wins and we will suffer together too – that’s football.

"I don’t set myself or players targets as if you don’t achieve them you can feel you have failed and sometimes you can set them too low."

He admitted there will be a bedding-in period with only Richardson and Ian Craney at the club in 2005/06.

"I understand that it is an unsettling period for players," he said. "They are so used to John and Jimmy and know them inside out and know each other inside out.

"It was probably unsettling for them having me at the Don Valley Stadium on Tuesday.

"It will take time for them to get my trust and me to get theirs – but it’s now important to hit the ground running.

"I want the players to play without nerves and express themselves – I want everyone to be comfortable and enjoy work.

"There will be mistakes as that’s the only way to learn and it’s important we stay with the lads, we stay loyal and give them all the self-belief we can to be better players."

And he expects an appearance from one of his old bosses from down the road in ex-Burnley manager Stan Ternent.

Cook added: "I have had a lot of managers but Stan was by far the best. His knowledge of football is fantastic and Stan had a massive presence about him.

"He had a way of making you feel if you walked in a room and didn’t want you in there, you would know – and vice versa.

"His man-management skills were second to none and how he looked after his players was fantastic.

"I know he will be over here as soon as he can telling me what I am doing wrong as a manager!"

Hopefully there won’t be much for him to find.