Alan Devonshire said he loved his four-year “rollercoaster ride” as the manager of Braintree Town.

As the club welcomed their new manager, Danny Cowley, into the Braintree hotseat, the West Ham legend has spoken of his four seasons at the Iron’s helm in an exclusive interview with the Braintree and Witham Times.

He thanked the fans for their support and said the players have made him proud, but giving bloodied noses to former Football League big-hitters has given him a special satisfaction.

“The one thing I will take from my time at Braintree is enjoyment,” said Devonshire.

“I have loved it and being able to lead Braintree in the Conference has been brilliant.

“I thank the board for giving me that opportunity.

“There are lots of things that you could say are highlights, like beating Grimsby 5-0 in our first home game, but also the games against the likes of Luton, Cambridge and more recently Torquay.

“They were all Football League clubs when I was playing so to go up against them and beat them as a manager has been amazing.

“I remember that when we went up with West Ham (in 1981), Luton were the only team to beat us and do the double over us, so to go to their place and beat them when they were going for the league title was special.

“There have been plenty of highlights.

“It’s been a rollercoaster ride for us all, but I’ve enjoyed it so much.

“In the last couple of months I’ve been unhappy with certain things, but I’ve been very proud to lead the club.”