Kittrick is one of the most successful managers in the non-League system. He brings with him over 25 years of managerial experience and is known for his man-management skills and his ability to bring the best out of his teams.

He will be joined at the Raygar Stadium by Luke Potter, who played in the Football League with Barnsley and has enjoyed a number of managerial and coaching roles, holding a UEFA A coaching licence.

Kittrick recently left Belper’s league rivals Guiseley AFC where he took over for the second time in April 2022 and almost saved the club from relegation from an almost hopeless position in the Vanarama National North.

Before the Covid pandemic, he had a short spell with Belper’s Derbyshire neighbours, Matlock Town where he oversaw a major re-building of the team.

Prior to that, he enjoyed a productive three-season spell at Scarborough Athletic where he eventually won promotion to the NPL Premier Division, a major feat, particularly after the Seasiders, were in the bottom three in the table when he joined them.

In his earlier career, he had a season at AFC Telford United but his main career achievements were in his first spell at Guiseley where he gained promotion to the Conference North in 2009/10 and reached the quarter-finals of the Buildbase FA Trophy.

His Guiseley team finished as runners-up in the Conference North in successive seasons, 2011/12 and 2012/13, and also reached the First Round in the FA Cup.

Kittrick told https://www.belpertownfc.co.uk: “Belper is a well-run club with fantastic facilities. The fan base is excellent so I would like to ask you all to get behind the lads and help us get out of the sticky patch we seem to find ourselves.

“We want to push on up the table towards the play-off positions.”

Nailers` chairman, Ian Woodward added: “I’m delighted to bring in a manager of Steve’s experience and qualities and I’m sure that with his knowledge of the non-League game, he can start to turn things around for the club”.