Crawley Town boss praises 'brilliant leader' in Reds dugout

The Reds boss said Storey was instrumental in the substitutions which helped Reds secure a famous 2-1 win in the first ever meeting between the two sides.

The 31-year-old followed Elliot from Gateshead - along with first team coach Antony Sweeney - where he was a player coach and is clearly an integral part of Elliot’s staff as they look to guide Crawley firsther up the League One table.

And Elliot was full of praise for Louis when we caught up with him after after the Charlton win.

“I've known Louis for a long time,” he said. “He was a scholar at Newcastle and then he ended up working at the club and then he started running our academy. They set up an academy in the North East. He's a brilliant coach. He's been coaching since he was 20.

"He’s a brilliant leader on and off the pitch and a fantastic footballer in his own right. He was playing every week in the National League. He's probably one of the best defenders in the National League up until he came here. He still trains with the lads now, but he just brings that willing mentality and that aggressiveness and that desire to get better every day and everything he does.

“That really helps me because I'm quite laid back and I think we balance off each other quite well. And he's obviously just a really good friend.”

And Elliot was quick to praise the rest of the staff as well. “Antony Sweeney, he's one of the top coaches, one of the best coaches I've ever worked with, whether playing or managing. So, it's a really good group.

“We get on really well and obviously what's been more important is the staff that are already here, how well they've taken to us and how much they've helped us. Ricky [McFarlane], Hafs [Steve Hafner], obviously Kris Dixon [goalkeeping coach] coming in has just tipped the goalies to another level in my opinion. I think they've been absolutely exceptional, whoever's played in goal, we've had a lot of them! Jake [the analyst and media team Sam [Gadsdon] and Matt [Robotham] as well.

“We're such a small club, but as we talked about before, everyone has to muck in and everyone has to play their part because otherwise we're not able to be successful, especially when you're going up against monsters in this league, some of the clubs, the juggernauts that they are.

“It's a team effort and I think that's what's coming through is that we're all working together well and it's starting to settle down now because it's been a mad two months. You barely get time to breathe.”