JAKE Reid is delighted to be back at Weymouth, admitting he “should not have left” in the first place.

The striker, who remains the Terras’ leading goalscorer this season, left the Wessex Stadium for Grays Athletic a week before Christmas.

But Reid has returned to the Terras once again after a mere month at the Blue Square Premier strugglers.

However, times have changed at Weymouth with manager Ian Hutchinson out of a job and chairman George Rolls on the lookout for a replacement.

Reid is disappointed to see Hutchinson gone, after revealing that the former boss played a major role in bringing him back to the south coast club, but plans to give his all in claret and blue.

Asked why he left Grays so soon after joining, he said: “It wasn’t a matter of football really, I went there with the intention of signing until the end of the season. They wanted me on a month to month contract and for me to relocate but that wasn’t good enough for me.

“In hindsight I should not have left Weymouth because what was promised wasn’t actually delivered so I wanted to come back to Weymouth as soon as possible.

“Hutch actually brought me back even though he’s not here anymore. I spoke to him last Friday and he was very happy to have me back.

“George Rolls said the situation is a bit different now and I spoke to him on Tuesday night. We had constructive talks as I needed assurances that the nucleus of the squad would remain intact and that players weren’t just going to get shifted out.

“We do need to add a few but we’ve already got a good group of players and with this nucleus we won’t get relegated. I said that when I left Hutch would be able to keep the team up.

“Hutch isn’t in charge now but I believe there is enough in the squad to prevent this club being relegated. I genuinely believe that.

“We’ll get two good results against Worcester and Lewes in our next two games, and once we’re out of the relegation zone we won’t slip back in.”

And Reid is hopeful of being involved in Saturday’s crucial trip to fellow Blue Square South strugglers Worcester City.

He added: “Hopefully I should be available to be in the squad, depending if my registration goes through in time.

“I know I’ve got a lot of work to do to get back into the team as they’ve had some decent results over the Christmas period, but I’m ready to do whatever I’ve got to do.

“I’m buzzing to be back. It may have been a month since I was last here but I’ve only missed three games. So I haven’t been away that long.

“The squad hasn’t really changed so I’m hoping I can slot back in easily and carry on playing well.

“Hutch leaving is a shame because he was the reason why I was playing well and why I wanted to come back.

“But these things happen in football, we’ve got to pick ourselves up. Hutch has got big things ahead of him as a manager as he gets the best out of players and he got the best out of a squad that wasn’t playing well.”

According to Rolls, the Terras are no nearer to finding a successor to the departed Hutchinson.

He said: “We’ve got to get the situation sorted but whoever comes in has to be right for the club – we don’t want to rush into anything. We’re having to take things minute by minute.”

Jimmy Quinn appeared to be the frontrunner earlier this week but Rolls played down the former Bournemouth manager's chances in yesterday’s Echosport.

Other names in the frame include Steve Fallon, John Beck, Gary Stevens and Leroy Rosenior.