Interim Exeter boss Green focused on Wycombe game

Dan Green says his only priority is preparing Exeter City for Tuesday night’s St James Park meeting with Wycombe Wanderers, insisting the question of whether he wants the manager’s job permanently can wait until after the final whistle.

The 38-year-old was promoted from assistant to interim head coach on Monday when Gary Caldwell departed for Wigan Athletic, leaving Green fewer than 48 hours to ready a squad he only recently returned to guide. It is a swift elevation for a coach who spent four years as number two at Exeter until 2022, then broadened his horizons with spells at Aston Villa and Rotherham before rejoining Caldwell last summer.

Speaking to BBC Radio Devon, Green admitted the sudden change had left no room for personal reflection. “If I could tell you how busy my last couple of days have been, it’s not even crossed my mind at the moment because I feel like I need to give everything to the players and to the staff,” he said. “All of our focus needs to go on to Wycombe. Once Wycombe is done, maybe I can think about what’s next.”

Green stressed that his long-held ambition has been to maximise his own development rather than chase titles. “What I experienced at Aston Villa and Rotherham, the aim was to become a better coach – a more all-rounded person. I feel like when I came back to the club, I had achieved that through those experiences.”

With little time to overhaul tactics, Green has concentrated on maintaining routine. “The main aim for the past couple of days is keeping as much normality as possible for the players, trying to prepare them as best as we possibly can for a big challenge that’s coming on Tuesday night.”

He also paid tribute to his predecessor, recalling the coffee-shop conversation in Wilmslow that lured him back to Devon. “We just spoke football. He created a fantastic playing style, he evolved the team, his recruitment was fantastic… the way that he sustained League One football over this period of time has been second to none.”

Green’s immediate task is to ensure Exeter hit the ground running against a Wycombe side that will provide an early gauge of whether the interim regime can steady the ship.