He may be the quiet one, but Micky Stephens’ role in Sutton United’s promotion to the National League needs shouting about, according to his colleagues.

Both boss Paul Doswell and head coach Ian Baird have heaped praise on Stephens – a United man to the core as both player and coach.

Now the three of them enter a new phase in their collaboration at non-League’s top flight, and it will push assistant manager Stephens’ analytical brain to the limit.

Baird said: “Micky is an invaluable part of it all. He does not say a lot, but he is very analytical and in that way he is very beneficial to me and Dos.

“After about 15 minutes of every game, I always say to him ‘Have you got them?’ and he’s got the opposition’s shape and system worked out.

“And he is a very good sounding board. He brings another ingredient to cake – as do Bobby Childs and Wayne Shaw.”

Doswell said: “Micky is very knowledgeable – Ian and I are very emotional, he is not.

“While Ian is getting into the referee or linesman, trying to affect the game that way, and I am barking orders, Micky, in his own very quiet way, will come up to either of us and say ‘Have you seen that or this’.

“When the three of us get together for a few minutes at half-time before talking to the players, we come up with about three points we want to make, and Micky comes up with at least two of them.”

Stephens made more than 500 appearances for United, including the 1989 FA Cup win over Coventry City, and is one of the few on the Sutton United Hall of Fame.

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Doswell added: “Micky is not there for the fact he was a good player for Sutton United, he is not there because he is a good lad, he is there for a reason.

“He is very analytical, he doesn’t like confrontation and doesn’t really want to get involved in telling someone they have been dropped.

“But when it comes to watching and understanding the game, he is as good as anyone else.”