Summer Feature: Garrard's Glorious Restoration Job

That’s what six months of soul search does to you.

In September, he returned to the club he left in a period of emotional turbulence. Departing whatever the final few weeks had in store, there was to be no fitting farewell as Wood were relegated.

It’s funny how things turn out.

Garrard’s exit was more a sabbatical, back in the dug-out ten years after he first stepped into it. After all that, there was to be a happy ending.

Now he’s plotting the next chapter in his story and refreshed after a family trip to Mexico, the manager’s work is about to begin.

“I relegated the club last year,” he said, reflecting on easily the worst moment during his 18 years at Hertfordshire club.

“But collectively, the staff, fans and players have got it back to where I think it deserves to be, where it should be. Their efforts were incredible. They came together.

“I’m just so glad I could come back here and do what I really wanted to. It was a tough six months. Being out of a job, it wasn’t easy.

“Being involved in football for 20 years, and to have no purpose was tough. When I got the call, I had to jump at the chance.”

Ross Jenkins was appointed as his successor but was dismissed after 121 days in charge.

Owner Danny Hunter knew there was only one man he wanted.

“I got things wrong that year,” recalled Garrard. “I started talking about relegation as early as September. That was a mistake.

“It was wrong because you sow a negative seed. So as soon as I walked back in, I sowed a positive one and we talked about promotion, winning it.

“I had an image of myself resurrecting the situation, lifting the trophy in front of the north bank.

“But we’ve got to make sure we don’t rest on our laurels and that we go again and be ready for the return to the National League.”

Now we wait to see what the next chapter has in store!