Former Burton Albion captain John McGrath reckons Nigel Clough is one of the best managers he has worked under - and he wants to implement his former boss' style of management at current club Mickleover Sports.
It's high praise indeed from a player who had stints with at Aston Villa and nearby Tamworth before joining up with the Brewers , for whom he made over 200 appearances for in a six year spell.
Between 2007 and 2013, McGrath helped Burton to a historic promotion to the football league for the first time in their history - and ensured they stayed there.
Clough and McGrath guided Burton to the top of the Conference National towards the end of the 2008-09 season, before Derby County came calling for Clough.
The allure of following in his father's footsteps was too much for Clough to resist, and Roy McFarland came in to finish the job and achieve that historic promotion.
McGrath - an ever present that season - is now hoping to instil a similar style of play that he was used to during his Burton days.
"I think you try and take the best of managers that you've worked under," he said.
"I loved my time under Nigel Clough, Paul Peschisolido and Gary Rowett, and I try and take probably the most successful part of my career and contribute it to the guys who I was lucky enough to become a manager of.
"I think Nigel is probably the top of the tree in my opinion.
"Certainly, I want my players to play with freedom, with high-tempo football, just as I was used to at Burton Albion."
The 37-year-old is currently player-manager at Sports - owned by Hilton businessman Don Amott - and he is hoping to replicate the rise of Burton Albion from non-league to the football league
And he knows first-hand what it takes to rise up the pyramid, and is looking to Burton - and chairman Ben Robinson in particular - as an example of how to do it.
"You only have to look back 14/15 years, Burton were probably in a similar league to us," McGrath added.
"What Ben Robinson has done for that club is amazing - the new stadium.
"We're starting to put things in place here. We've got a new stadium coming in probably 18 months to two years.
"We've got a new all-weather pitch, new stands.
"We want to go where they are, so why not?"
