There will be no prouder manager in football than Chris Swailes when he leads Dunston UTS into their first game of the BetVictor Northern Premier League season.

The Northern League champions are currently preparing for their first ever season in step four of the non-league system and they will compete with the likes of Workington, Tadcaster Albion and Marske United in the North West Division.

A trip to Merseyside to face Marine is first up for Dunston on Saturday, August 17 – three days before they host Ossett United at the UTS Stadium.

The challenge of competing above Northern League level is one that excites Swailes, and the former Rotherham United centre-back admitted that he has great pride in leading his club into a new era.

He told the Sunday Sun “It’s a very good league, but we want to be taking on tough teams and testing ourselves at that level.

“To win the Northern League, that was progression, and now we want to go again.

“We don’t want to stand still, and you see the fixtures and you realise that we need to keep improving on and off the pitch.

“I am excited by what is ahead, I always wanted to take on this level, and to do it with Dunston, a club close to my heart, is a real thrill.

“I now want to progress again and to do the club and the area proud at this level.”

Swailes has been active in the transfer market since the end of last season as he prepares his squad for the new campaign.

Key midfielder Jake Stafford and young winger Jack Elliott were two key departures as they left for Consett and Hebburn Town respectively, but the vast majority of the squad that led the club to the Northern League title have remained.

New faces have arrived in the shape of former Newcastle United youngsters Callum Smith and Dan Lowther and Sunderland RCA midfielder Luke Page.

More will follow as the new season draws closer and Swailes is currently working hard to add further quality to his squad.

But the Dunston boss revealed that he remains confident that the players that helped the club to the Northern League title will deal with the step up in class.

“We are down as one of the favourites to win that league, which is a bit too far for me at this point,” he explained.

“But we will hold our own and we are confident that the lads that have played in the Northern League can help us do exactly that.

“We have lost four players in the summer, and they are very good players.

“We have brought in strong replacements and we are still on the lookout for more.

“We need a few additions over the next four weeks to improve the squad and get ourselves fully prepared for the season.”

Dunston’s remaining pre-season fixtures will send them into the league campaign on the back of a severe test.

National League North side Spennymoor Town visit the UTS Stadium on Tuesday night, and a Cleator Cup fixture against West Auckland Town is on the agenda for next Saturday.

A home fixture against Morpeth Town and a visit to South Shields will round off the pre-season schedule ahead of an FA Cup tie at former Northern League foes Consett on Saturday, 10 August.

That tough set of fixtures will give Dunston the “perfect preparation” for the new season according to their manager.

“Playing Spennymoor, West Auckland, Morpeth Town and South Shields – they are four very, very big games.

“But we are looking forward to them and they will tell us more about where we are at ahead of the new season.

“Hopefully we will add some more new signings, improve our fitness and give ourselves a perfect preparation for a tough FA Cup game at Consett.”