LIVERSEDGE boss Jonathan Rimmington happy and angry right now.

After battling to escape relegation from the Toolstation Northern Counties East League Premier Division last term, Sedge are in second spot eight games into the new campaign.

However, their raised profile has meant that they have attracted unwanted interest in a squad that Rimmington has diligently built to take into his second season in charge.

He said: “We are where we are at the moment because of hard work – there’s no magic formula.

“We’ve had a great start and I’m absolutely delighted that we’re showing the potential that I’ve always known we’ve got, but we’re doing so well that I’ve had four clubs from higher leagues coming in for my players this week.

“What’s more annoying is that some of those approaches have been by the back door, and I do not like people making illegal approaches.

"I wear my heart on my sleeve and I won’t make any bones about it – I’ve had a couple of arguments with people from clubs trying to poach our players over the last few weeks.”

The Sedge boss expected clubs from higher up the pyramid to covet some of his players, and feels that the interest is a back-handed compliment to his club, but he had a swipe at the management of the clubs chasing his players.

“I think clubs should do their recruitment in the summer and not wait until a club starts doing well and then say, 'we’ll have him and him and him'.

"Are the managers and coaches of these other clubs just lazy?

“I knew what we had here last season, and that is a good group of lads who play well together, and the tide started turning back then.

"We have had an unbeaten eight-game run this season but we had a seven-game run at the end of last season, so it’s no fluke.”