Wroxham have made the surprise appointment of Pawel Guziejko as manager to replace David Batch, who left to join AFC Sudbury last month.

Guziejko will lead the Yachtsmen's assault on the Ryman League Division One North next season after seeing off stiff competition for the Trafford Park hot-seat.

Several high profile names in Norfolk football were linked with the job but chairman, Tom Jarrett, was 'bowled over' by Guziejko, who leaves Anglian Combination side Reepham Town. 'There were some very big names that came forward,' said Jarrett, who undertook an exhaustive selection process which saw 13 candidates interviewed. 'But it was obvious as soon as we spoke to Pav that he was the man we wanted.

'He is completely different to anything we've appointed before and he bowled us over in the interview. I think it's a really exciting time for Wroxham. His enthusiasm for the game really came through and we are all really looking forward to next season.'

Guziejko has previously worked as a coach in his native Poland, before spending seven years in the USA as assistant coaching director of Spectrum Soccer Schools.

He then moved to the UK becoming a community coach at Norwich City but it his success with Reepham Town that caught the eye, earning promotion and stabilising the club in the Anglian Combination Premier Division.

'It is a great opportunity for myself,' said Guziejko, who has also had a book published titled 'Coordination in Soccer'. 'It's one of the biggest amateur clubs in East Anglia and when you get offered this kind of opportunity it would be silly to say no.'

Guziejko plans to meet the current Wroxham squad over the next two weeks but stressed that he plans to build on the foundations left by Batch.

'Dave (Batch) and Steve (Eastaugh) have done some fantastic work at Wroxham and they have made them a famous club and what they have done is a credit to them and the players. I would like to evolve the club – there won't be any kind of revolution. I would like to build up what is already there.'