MATTY Foulds can sense that Mark Hughes has breathed new life into City.

The Clayton-born defender put pen to paper on a new two-year deal as he gets fully behind the Hughes revolution.

And Foulds is convinced that the Welshman will lead his boyhood club back out of the League Two doldrums.

He said: “Everything the gaffer has done since he came in has been positive for the club.

“I think the fans and the lads have all bought into what the manager wants to do. It’s going to come good for everyone.

“It’s felt more enjoyable, especially with the fans as well because there’s no booing at half-time or the end. They were behind us constantly and that’s a big positive for the lads as well.

“Winning the last three games of the season has changed a lot of people’s mindset in the crowd. But I think that changed anyway when the manager first came in.

“He gave the club a new life and you could sense a different atmosphere from the start.”

The 24-year-old started nine of the 13 games City played after Hughes was appointed at Derek Adams’ replacement in February.

The City boss admires the way Foulds plays with his “heart on his sleeve” and the left back is keen to prove he can be more than an understudy to Liam Ridehalgh.

“It’s a fresh start for everybody when a new manager comes in but I must have done well enough in the games he’s seen for him to keep playing me.

“I know Liam was injured but I’m pretty sure if he didn’t want to play me, then he’d have done something else.

“What I like about the gaffer is that he’ll talk to you on a personal level rather than just in front of the group.

“If it’s something about you individually, he’ll pull you to one side which is good man management.

“He’s not one of those managers who won’t speak to you at all.

“Sometimes if a manager is just ‘pieing’ you off and not speaking to you, you wonder if there’s any point in being involved. But it’s all been positive.

“He managed Carlos Tevez and now he’s managing me. It still sounds weird.

“People speak to you about him and you’re thinking, ‘are they on about the same person?’

“A lot of managers will say they can’t believe we’ve got Mark Hughes either. But the club must be doing something right to attract the gaffer.

"I think it's all good for everyone."

Foulds followed in the footsteps of Jamie Walker and new keeper Harry Lewis as Hughes’ squad revamp gathers momentum. Forest Green attacker Jake Young is strongly tipped to become another imminent arrival.

Foulds added: “It’s all quite exciting because you know there is going to be a lot going on.

“That’s why it’s great to get the contract sorted out early on and I’ve got the rest of the summer to enjoy it stress-free.

“It gives me the chance to build on last season and express myself a bit more not having to worry about what will happen.

“It was never a doubt when the club offered me a new contract that I was going to sign.

“I could have gone somewhere else and aimed for promotion. But there’s no other club I would have wanted to sign for.”

Foulds also believes that the battle with Ridehalgh for the starting spot will bring out the best in them.

“It will be good to bounce off each other,” he said. “It’s a good challenge for me because Liam’s got so much experience.

“We always have a bit of banter because we’re good pals outside of football.

“He’ll text me after a game and ask how I’ve played and vice versa, I’ll do the same with him.

“He texted me as soon as the news came out about the contract to say congratulations and how much he was made up for me.”