Danny Grainger’s right-hand man Steven Rudd has left Workington Reds just two games into the new season. 

Rudd didn’t travel with the squad to Prescot Cables last night, leaving Grainger on his own in the technical area as Reds collected their first point of the campaign.

Grainger was saddened to report Rudd’s departure commenting, “I am absolutely gutted to see Ruddy leave as he’s someone I’m very close to not just in football terms but away from the game too. He has given everything to this club, it won’t be the same without him and he goes with our sincere thanks and best wishes.

“I have the utmost respect for him and hope, one day, we will be reunited and have him standing by my side again. He is a credit to his family in the way he conducts himself in everything he does,” concluded Reds’ disappointed manager.

Since making his debut for Workington Reserves as a sixteen year old back in 2006, the teacher from Wigton has carried out many roles for the club during various stints at Borough Park. Most recently, he has been the first team assistant manager working under Lee Andrews, Chris Willcock and Grainger, twice.

In an emotional statement on Tuesday Rudd explained, “I would like to say this is not a decision I have taken lightly or made overnight but something discussed with Danny a couple of times during pre-season. I just feel it may be the right time for the club and the players if someone new came in to take things forward.”

The former midfielder made his first team debut under Darren Edmondson in 2007, playing in Conference North as a teenager, and a successful spell at Gretna followed when the Raydale Park club re-formed. But he deliberately cut short a decent playing career to concentrate on the coaching side of the game, recently attaining UEFA A Licence status.

“I have loved every minute of my time at the club and it will always be a special place to me, it has been such a massive part of my life and journey in football so far,” he said, adding, ”and it has been a privilege to be the assistant manager of this great club for the last four seasons.”

He continued, “I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved with the club – past and present – for their support during my various roles at Workington. It is greatly appreciated.

“Reds will be the first result I’ll look out for and I wish the club nothing but good fortune as there are so many great people involved from top to bottom. I look forward to getting back down to Borough Park in the near future and having a good catch-up with everyone. Who knows, I might even make an away trip with the RISC, they are a fantastic bunch.”

Rudd skippered the Workington Reserve team to their only Lancashire League title in the 2007-08 season when Stuart Rome’s side came close to a double, narrowly missing out in the League Cup. He also played in successive County Youth Cup finals in 2007 and 2008 lifting the cup on both occasions and scoring in each game too.

He got his first taste of FA Cup football in Workington’s run to the First Round proper during the 2007-08 season and was a non-playing substitute in the match at Bury. On returning to Borough Park, he managed the reserve team, guiding them to a Lancashire League runners-up berth in 2016.

Rudd’s third spell at the club concentrated around the first team but he has also been heavily involved in development with a unique knowledge of schools and youth football.

Grainger will be seeking a successor but would not speculate on who that might be at the moment.