Ben Davies says he’s delighted to continue his coaching journey in the Grimsby Town first-team setup.

The 38-year-old joined the Blundell Park coaching staff on a temporary basis to help assist interim manager Anthony Limbrick and Dave Moore yesterday.

And Davies, who scored three goals in 63 appearances for Town between 2016 and 2018, is excited to continue learning as a coach.

Speaking exclusively on iFollow Mariners, he said: “It’s been great. Obviously it’s the other side of the fence a bit because I’m on the coaching side.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do – it’s a chance for me to improve and get better, and it’s a chance for me to see it from a different perspective.

“It’s a journey I started long into my playing career so it’s a nice step to be going higher and higher.

“Fortunately when I was at Notts County, Sheffield United, and Derby County, I lived in the same area which was based around St. George’s Park so I was only around half an hour away from that.

“So it was around 10 to 15 years ago now and I thought it was a good chance to go into coaching, and it’s been a progression from then.

“I left home at 15 to be a professional footballer and I did that for 22 years so it’s been something I’ve done all my life, and it’s all I know.

“So the coaching side has been something I’ve been really interested in.

“And it’s been great working with the staff at the academy here with the mentors of Colin Walker and Neil Woods – it’s been great to get in and learn.

“It’s nice to make the progression and the step up, and it’s been an enjoyable start.

“There are still some familiar faces and people I’ve kept in touch with here, and most of the lads – I’ve either played with them or against them so I know all the boys.

“And I know the staff from being in the academy so it’s nice to be back.”

And Davies, who is still contracted to Cleethorpes Town as a player, thanked the Owls for allowing and encouraging him to join the Mariners’ coaching staff on a temporary basis.

He said: “They’re a class act down there. I got the call and it was a case of clearing it with the Cleethorpes Town manager, Dave Smith, and the owners.

“And they were brilliant with me and they wished me all the luck and said ‘Go and get involved and help out.’

“It’s a club which is going places and a very, very forward-thinking club, and the connections between the two clubs are really good.

“And hopefully we can continue to build connections as they work their way up, which they will do and they want to do.

“The connections with our young lads and our under-23 lads can be something we can really look at and hammer home because the setup there is absolutely fantastic, and they’re only going to go one way.”